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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001048">Atomic [Maze Runner]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrella/pseuds/Astrella'>Astrella</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxIshtar/pseuds/fxIshtar'>fxIshtar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Awkward Flirting, Character Death, Character Development, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Secrets, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Group B, Hurt/Comfort, Personal Growth, Post-The Maze Runner, Search for a Cure, Shyness, Starts from the Scorch Trials</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:55:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>72,346</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24001048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrella/pseuds/Astrella, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxIshtar/pseuds/fxIshtar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eden was exhausted. After spending two years trapped in the Maze and barely scraping by during the final battle, she was perfectly content with sitting back and allowing their supposed saviours to handle the rest. But when the hidden horrors of their so-called sanctuary finally come to light, she has no choice but to escape into the Scorch alongside her friend and a group of peculiar strangers. </p><p>Eden is small and frail, in no way suited to withstand this now-post-apocalyptic world. But she is determined to survive and strive towards a goal of her own - to find the cure. </p><p>She promised.</p><p> </p><p>I do not own The Maze Runner series or its characters. All rights belong to James Dashner and Wes Ball. This book follows the movie iteration of the series.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Newt (Maze Runner)/Original Character(s), Newt (Maze Runner)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. [Prolouge]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[Prolouge]</em>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hm?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, hello there.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sorry, you took me by surprise. I don't get many visitors nowadays, you know?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hey, since you're already </em>
  <em>here, h</em>
  <em>ow about a story?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oops, I guess I shouldn't have said that. Telling a story always comes with its own pressures. Because once you announce that you're telling a story, people begin to expect that there's a point to it all.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh well, guess I'll just have to live up to that expectation then. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Allow me to tell you a story.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A story about a world ravaged by the scorching sun and plagued by a deadly virus. A story about a group of kids, scrambling to survive through the harshest conditions and most heartwrenching betrayals. </em>
  <em>A story about a girl so timid and so frail, she can't even look people in the eye when talking.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But that girl. That same small and meek girl I described. She has the potential equivalent to that of an atomic bomb.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Along her journey, she will feel pain; she will feel incompetent; she will feel helpless. But at the same time, she will grow, and learn, and strengthen as a person. She will make some wonderful friends and allies, and even fall in love. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And when she finally harbours that hidden potential, this ruined, apocalyptic world will surely begin to change.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or... not.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I won't spoil the ending for you. That'd just be rude of me, wouldn't it?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So gather around, and-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Huh? Who am I?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hm... That's a difficult question to answer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Someday, you'll come to understand that. But for now, just think of me as the narrator of this story.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now, let's begin."</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. [Chapter 1] The New Arrivals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[Chapter 1]</em>
</p><p>
  <b>The New Arrivals</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Resting her chin on the base of her palm, Eden stared down blankly at her mash potatoes. The sounds of people talking could be heard throughout the cafeteria. A mixture of different voices, people subconsciously trying to talk over each other as they continued through their evening conversations. Usually, this disorderly manner would bother her, but at this point, she's learned to tune it all out. Lost in her thoughts, she continued to mindlessly comb her fork through her meal.</p><p>"You okay?" A voice sounded, accompanied by the light ring of a meal tray being dropped down onto the table. She didn't even need to look up to know who it was.</p><p>"I'm alright."She nodded ever-so-slightly before lifting her gaze to meet Aris's stormy gray eyes with a faint smile. "Just a little tired from all the tests."</p><p>The boy returned her smile before settling down into his spot across from her, pursing his lips and wincing as he does so. Eden's brows furrowed.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" She asked, glints of worry immediately flooding her dark brown eyes.</p><p>"No," He assured, sucking in a harsh breath through his teeth as he gingerly rubs his knee. "It's just a bruise I got when I was climbing through the vents yesterday."</p><p>Eden's lips tugged into an acute frown. "Are you still doing that?" She whispered, being careful that the others around don't overhear their conversation. "Aris, I really don't think-"</p><p>"Shh." Before she could finish her sentence, Aris hushed, subtly pressing a finger to his lips as if to tell her to remain quiet. His gaze flickered to the left as his brows knitted closer together, staring intently at something behind her. </p><p>Following his gaze, Eden peered over her shoulder, spotting a small group of five boys enter the cafeteria. They seemed disoriented, wide eyes darting from left to right as if they didn't know where to look in this new, overwhelming environment - tell-tale signs of being the day's newbies.</p><p>One of the boys, an Asian like her, seemed to have noticed the buffet line towards the side of the cafeteria. His face immediately lit up as he reached over to nudge his friend, a stocky boy with dark skin, in the rib. The two of them gleamed with excitement, rushing over to snag a spot in the thinning line like children at a candy store. Thanks to their friends' swift disappearance, the rest of the group quickly noticed the food as well, hurrying over to join them. A boy with olive skin threw his arms around their necks, exchanging a few words with them before breaking into a fit of laughter. Another boy, strangely resembling Aris in his small, scrawny stature grabbed a tray for himself before fixating his gaze on the three, joining in on the conversation. Finally, there was a tall boy with caramel blond hair. He quietly followed along with the rest of his friends, occasionally chiding at their boarish behaviour. Though the faint traces of a smile seemed to suggest he was in a rather good mood as well.</p><p>"New arrivals..." Aris muttered under his breath, snapping Eden out of her train of thought as she glanced back at him. </p><p>"Well yes, they bring new people in every day." She pointed out with a questioning eyebrow, having no idea where he was going with this.</p><p>"Just... Give me a minute," Aris said, reaching out nervously to grab hold of his cup. He narrowed his scrutinizing eyes at the group of boys, tilting his head down to make it less obvious he was staring. </p><p>Eden sighed, taking one last peek over her shoulder. The boys, now fully satisfied with the mountain of food on their trays, settled down at a table near the centre of the cafeteria. "Rather than worrying about others, you should be thinking more for yourself." Turning back to the brown-haired boy, she spoke in a soft voice. </p><p>He cast her an estranged glance.</p><p>"You got yourself hurt, Aris." She emphasized, hands fidgetting nervously. "Don't you think you're just being a little paranoid? You said the stretchers were covered up. So it could've been anything under there-"</p><p>"No, I'm sure of it." Aris shook his head, veering his attention back towards the new arrivals. "Those were bodies." He stated definitely.</p><p>Eden heard herself gulp at the prospect. Why would their saviours be transporting human bodies into a secret room? According to Aris, he discovered a way into the restricted area of the facility through its ventilation system. And that every night like clockwork, the doctors would transport several bodies into a secret room on covered stretchers. Except for those doctors, the bodies that go in, never come back out.</p><p>Eden was about to open her mouth and say something, when-</p><p>"Hey, Thomas!" She heard a male voice call out over the chattering crowd. Both her and Aris look to the source of the voice, noticing that the Asian boy had hopped out of his chair and hurried towards the cafeteria entrance where another boy with dark brown hair stood. He was tall, lean, and slightly muscular. As his brown eyes darted around the room anxiously, Eden thought she saw a familiar glint reflected within. </p><p>It was the same look Rachel had when she led the charge out of the Maze.</p><p>Led by his friend, the boy named Thomas sat himself down at the centre table, wedged between the Asian boy and the tall blond.</p><p>Not wanting to get caught staring, Eden turned back towards her friend, only to notice that his eyes were still glued to the newcomers. "Is something wrong?"</p><p>"I think they can help." He murmured, his voice barely audible. </p><p>Eden pursed her lips at his statement. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted once more. This time, by Janson. </p><p>"Good evening, gentlemen. Ladies." The leader of the facility clears his throat, almost instantly silencing the previously rowdy cafeteria as he scans over the eager crowd. "You all know how this works. If you hear your name called, please rise in an orderly fashion and join my colleagues behind me, where they will escort you to the eastern wing." He said in a routine manner. "Your new lives are about to begin." He then announced, lips curling into an unsettling smile.</p><p>As Janson opened his clipboard and began to read out the names, Eden listened anxiously, wondering if her name would finally be pulled in the cluster. But when the list came to its end, and her name wasn't mentioned in the slightest, she felt her previously tense shoulders slump a little. </p><p>"Again..." She breathed a sigh, turning back to Aris with a dejected expression.</p><p>Aris didn't respond, still fixated on the boys at the centre table. </p><p>"I wonder when we'll finally be called..." Thinking out loud, Eden peered down at her reflection within the water of her metal cup. "I miss everyone..." She whispered.</p><p>"Trust me, Eden." Aris hushed, finally turning to look her dead in the eyes. "I don't think we want to be called."</p><p>For a few seconds, Eden continued to hold his gaze, searching desperately within his storm-like eyes for a reason as to why he would say that. But when she was unable to find anything, her dark brown eyes flickered to a downcast. </p><p>"Hey, Teresa?" A voice suddenly rang throughout the cafeteria, accompanied by a set of hasty steps. Eden glanced over her shoulder, spotting the boy named Thomas keeping pace with a girl beyond the windows of the cafeteria, shouting her name desperately only to be stopped by the guards before he could run into the restricted area. </p><p>Aris's eyes rounded.</p><p>"Him," His breath quickened ever-so-slightly, causing the raven-haired girl to turn back towards him with a curious look. "He can help us." He stated, the traces of a relieved smile surfacing on his lips.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Eden sighed. Pulling her knees closer to her chest, she curled up on her mattress in the empty bunker. </p><p>It wasn't so long ago that this room was chalked full of laughter and chatter. The girls would talk about the warm and well-cooked food in the cafeteria, the clean and colourful clothes they've been treated to, and even a cute doctor or two they've met during their examinations. Needless to say, it's been months, even years since the last time those girls have had such cheerful and lively conversations. They were so carefree, so... relieved, without the need to worry over their next meal, or whether or not inevitable doom could be breathing down their backs.</p><p>But then one by one, the girls would disappear. Being called to that promised 'safe place.' Not even three days later, she and Aris were the only ones left from their maze. </p><p>Actually, not all of them were called. </p><p>Two girls, Harriet and Sonya seemingly managed an escape from the compound after getting an off feeling about the place. At least, she hoped they escaped. The sirens never rang that night, and the guards never mentioned anything of the sort. So the only thing she could hope for was that all was well for the two missing girls. </p><p>But now with Aris insisting something similar, Eden couldn't help but rethink her options a little.</p><p>On one hand, the idea of a safe haven from WICKED sounded like exactly what they needed. They were the ones who put her, the rest of the girls, and Aris in that horrific maze after all. A place where they spent nearly every day of their lives walking on eggshells, living under the oppression of fear as they wondered what horrors could be waiting for them the next day.</p><p>On the other hand, she couldn't just ignore Aris's earnest expression. The boy has been nothing but helpful since the day he entered the maze. If he says there might be something with the facility, on what basis did she have to refute that? Besides, they were the only two remaining from their group. </p><p>They had to stick together. </p><p>Chewing on her bottom lip, Eden noted that she had finally reached a conclusive decision. She shifted her body, turning to lay on the other side as she gently closed her eyes, going through her nightly ritual of remembering those who have fallen during their Maze Trial. </p><p>"Bury them... in your heart." She whispered, gently pressing a hand against her chest before allowing herself to slip into a deep sleep.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>"Aris," The next evening, as Janson began to list off those who were heading to the 'safe haven', Eden called out to her friend in a hush. "Aris, can we talk?" She said awkwardly.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"I..." Feeling her voice crack under the pressure of her ramming heart, Eden took a deep breath. "I just wanted to tell you that, I believe in you. I believe in you, and whatever you have planned." She stated, subconsciously tightening her grip on her own hand.</p><p>Aris blinked a little, seemingly taken aback by her sudden announcement. "Thanks," He murmured, cracking a faint smile. "Thanks, Eden." </p><p>When Janson finally finished listing those who would be moving on to paradise, Eden noticed that Aris's gaze was once again fixated on the boys at the centre table. It wasn't until she heard a light slam in their general direction, did she finally turn around. She watched as the same boy, Thomas, approached the restricted entrance once more, this time attempting to blend in as one of the chosen kids. However, it didn't take much effort for the guard to recognize the trespasser as he immediately blocked the boy off. The two exchanged a few words. And though they were a distance away from both her and Aris's table, she could still sense the straining tension that began to manifest between them.</p><p>Pressing his lips together, Thomas turned around in defeat and began to make his way back towards his table. But he didn't even take two full steps away before whirling back around and ramming his body into the security guard, causing chaos to erupt in that specific corner of the cafeteria as Eden jumped in her seat. </p><p>"Back off!" The guard yelled, shoving Thomas off himself.</p><p>"What's your problem, man? What the hell, huh?" Thomas shouted, roughly shoving the guard back. </p><p>"Let's go," Before the situation could pan out completely, Aris jolted up with his tray and began speed walking towards the counter designated for dirty dishes. </p><p>"H-Huh?" Eyes darting between the unfolding fight and Aris, Eden nodded stiffly. Picking up her tray, she followed her friend as he calmly disposed of his leftovers before stacking his tray and hurrying down of the hallway that led towards the bunks. </p><p>Before the door could close behind her, Eden peered over her shoulder, spotting Thomas being pulled back from the tall, blond boy. </p><p>"Aris?" She called out, jogging a little to catch up to him. "Aris, what's going on? Why did Thomas-"</p><p>"Listen to me carefully," Ignoring her onslaughter of questions, Aris's steps came to a rigid halt as he turned to grab her by the shoulders. "Go back to your bunk and get changed into some new clothes. Wearing something warm and comfortable to move in. I'll be by through your vents, and when I call for you, follow me. Understood?" He asked, once again staring dead into her dark brown eyes.</p><p>Eden blinked, taking a second to process what he had said before nodding. "Right, okay."</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Parting ways with Aris, Eden hurried back into her empty bunker, making sure the door slammed shut behind her. As per Aris's instructions, she then made a bee-line for the lockers. Throwing off her tank top and jeans, she yanked out a pair of black cargo pants and a soft yellow sweater, quickly changing into them.</p><p>As she bent down to re-tie the laces on her brown combat boots, the sound of faint rustling under one of the beds immediately drew her attention. She snapped her head around, barely making out a shadowy figure crammed inside the vents. </p><p>"Eden?" She heard Aris whisper. "Eden, we gotta go."</p><p>"Right, I'm coming." Scurrying over, she gingerly removed the lid with trembling hands before entering the darkness of the ventilation system. </p><p>Eden panted breathlessly. Nudging her elbows forth little by little, she did her best to keep up with Aris, who seemed far more accustomed to such a strenuous activity. "Where are we going?" She asked, trying to ignore the burning sensation that began creeping up her arm, curtsy of all crawling. </p><p>"Thomas's room," Aris explained, taking a sharp right at the next intersection. "You're gonna stay with his friends in their room. So if anything happens when I'm gone, you'll have safety in numbers."</p><p>The girl's brows furrowed. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"I'm going with Thomas." He stated definitely, leaving no room for argument. "I need to find out what's behind that door."</p><p>After taking another right in the vents, the two could hear the sounds of an argument breaking out in the new arrivals' bunker. A boy with a strong British accent was chastising someone, presumably Thomas, for his sudden outburst in the cafeteria. But all voices came to a halt when Aris reached out to firmly shoved their vent door, sending it sliding across the ground.</p><p>"Hey, Thomas," He popped his head out from beneath their bunk, crawling forth a little more before standing up.</p><p>"What the- Who is this kid?!" A voice exclaimed in exasperation. </p><p>"Hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend." Ignoring the stranger's comment, Aris reached down to grab hold of Eden's hand before pulling her out of the vents and to her feet. He then turned to Thomas. "You got it, didn't you?" He asked. </p><p>"Yeah, let's go," Thomas huffed, toying with what seems to be a security keycard in his hands. Eden's eyes widened with surprise, quickly realizing he must have snatched it from that guard when he bodyslammed into him. </p><p>Aris nodded. He then glanced at Eden, giving the anxious girl one last look of reassurance before crouching down and diving back into the vents. </p><p>Following his lead, Thomas quickly slides his legs beneath the bunk, only to freeze when he noticed his friends' questioning looks. "All right, maybe you guys are right." He said, his breath ragged with tension. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid. But I got to find out for sure." He glanced up, exchanging eye contact with the other guys. "Just cover for me. I'll be back as soon as I can."</p><p>With that, he pushed himself downward, entering the vent. </p><p>"Be careful," Kneeling down beside the bed, Eden called after the two in a quaky voice, watching as they disappeared around a corner. </p><p>The room fell into silence as Eden remained there. Clasping her hands together tightly, she squeezed her eyes shut and muttered an internal prayer to no one in particular before feeling an unsettling shiver rattle up her spine. She jolted, suddenly recalling where she was.</p><p>Hesitantly peeking over her shoulder, her mouth went dry as she came face to face with five boys, all watching her with unreadable expressions. Under their searing gaze, Eden felt her body grow hot. It was as if their eyes alone were enough to set her skin on fire, forcefully tearing away the outer layers to reveal who she was on the inside.</p><p>She felt like a bunny, standing in a wolf's den.</p><p>"Um... H-Hello..." She murmured, forcing out an unconvincing smile. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. [Chapter 2]  Jailbreak</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[Chapter 2]</em>
</p><p>
  <b>Jailbreak</b>
</p><p> </p><p>"Okay, what the shuck is going on here?!" Just as Eden barely managed to squeak out her greeting, the Asian boy's voice erupted in a mixture of irritation and confusion, startling the girl as she jumped in her place, instinctively squeezing her eyes shut while her body recoiled, wishing she could disappear into the concrete floors.</p><p>"Calm down, slinthead. You're scaring her." The stocky boy scolded as he marched up towards her cowarding figure. "Sorry about that shank," He said, reaching a hand down towards the girl who peered up cautiously. "Guess we 'ought to introduce ourselves before we start asking questions, huh?"</p><p>For a moment, Eden didn't move. Her gaze ping-ponging between the boy's outstretched hand and his face, searching for any traces of malice behind his seemingly kind actions.</p><p>"Great," The Asian boy huffed, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "We broke her."</p><p>"Slim it, Minho." The blond boy said, nudging his friend in the rib.</p><p>Before the Asian boy could retort, Eden began to shift in her spot. Slowly but surely, she reached her hand out towards the stocky boy's. But before their fingers could even make contact, he took her by surprise, eagerly extending forth to grab hold of her, pulling her up to her feet with a firm tug.</p><p>"My name is Frypan, but the guys just call me Fry for short," He introduced himself with a friendly smile, giving her hand a firm shake. "Nice to meet you."</p><p>"I'm Winston," Feeling that he should follow along, the olive-skinned boy was the next to speak as he rests his elbow on Frypan's shoulder. "Nice to meet you, girl."</p><p>Eden nodded hesitantly as she let go of Frypan's hand, finding herself still too choked up to speak. She continued down the line, turning to look at the small boy who somewhat resembled Aris.</p><p>"Jack," He nodded.</p><p>Next up was the Asian boy, though the moment Eden made eye contact with him, she immediately averted them away, causing Frypan and Winston to let out a slight snicker.</p><p>"Hey, you scared of me or somethin'?" He asked.</p><p>"N-No, not at all..." Eden said, though her actions were quick to contradict her words as she looked as if she was about to collapse again at any moment.</p><p>"Alright," She heard the boy chuckle before taking a step closer, effectively towering over her. "If you're not scared, then look at me." He challenged smugly.</p><p>"I-I'm alright..." Keeping her gaze glued to the ground, Eden murmured, not daring to make eye contact.</p><p>"Look at me," He said, this time in a more commanding tone.</p><p>Fearing what would happen to her if she didn't comply, Eden's gaze slowly shifted upwards before coming face to face with a surprisingly child-like grin. She blinked, eyes wide.</p><p>"See? Not so bad, right?" He gave a light laugh before moving on to introduce himself. "The name's Minho, the best-looking shanks around." He announced with an air of confidence.</p><p>Coming to the realization that Minho was, in fact, not a trident wielding devil as her imagination had somehow morphed him to be. Eden felt all tension drain from her body, her shoulders slumping in relief as she let out a deliberately quiet breath.</p><p>Shaking his head at his friend's reverse intimidation method, the boy with blond hair stepped in. "And I'm Newt." He said simply, extending a hand out towards her.</p><p>Recognizing his voice and thick accent as the one who was scolding Thomas when she first arrived, Eden felt herself crack a smile. She took his hand, giving it a gentle shake. "My name is Eden," She then said, turning towards the rest of the boys.</p><p>"So, Eden." Newt sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "Care to explain what's going on?"</p><p>"Huh? Oh, right!" Touching her fingertips to her lips, Eden gasped, suddenly remembering where the conversation was headed before they got distracted with introductions. "Um... I'm sure you guys have guessed by now, but I'm from the same maze as Aris." She began. "We escaped our maze a little over a week ago, and we've been stuck here for about nine days. But by day three, everyone else in our group was taken away, leaving just us. Aris got suspicious, so he started exploring the rest of the facility through the vents past curfew. He..." She paused for a second, brows furrowing slightly. "He said he found something weird about this place." She continued after a deep breath. "He said that every night at a certain time, the doctors would bring something into a secret room in the back. And whatever goes in, never comes back out."</p><p>"The covered stretchers," Winston gasped.</p><p>"Yes, that!" The raven-haired girl nodded. "How did you guys know?" She tilted her head curiously.</p><p>"Thomas told us what he saw last night," Newt explained, reaching up to rub the bottom half of his face in contemplation. "Anything else?" He asked, brown eyes shifting towards her.</p><p>Eden shook her head. "No, that's all I know." She murmured. "I'm sorry..."</p><p>The room fell into a stilled silence once again as the boys exchanged unsure glances, acting as if the answer to their countless burning questions were written on each others' faces.</p><p>"So, what do we do now?" Jack asked, taking a seat on one of the lower bunks.</p><p>"Should we go after them?" Minho suggested.</p><p>"No," Slowly shaking his head, Newt pursed his lips. "No, let's wait for Thomas and Aris to get back first."</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>In fact, it didn't take long at all. Not even two minutes later, the sound of rustling could be heard from the vents. The door popped open and slid across the room as Thomas emerged from within. He quickly scrambled to his feet, face completely drained of blood.</p><p>"Thomas?" Jack called out to him.</p><p>"We gotta go," At first, his voice comes out as nothing but a whisper only to rapidly raise in volume as he paced over to their bunker door. "We gotta go right now!" He shouted, darting towards the bunk beds as the previous quiet room quickly descended into chaos.</p><p>"What the hell are you talking about?" Minho questioned. "What do you mean, 'We gotta go?'"</p><p>Not bothering to answer any of his confused friends, Thomas began ripping off the bedsheets and blankets like a madman, muttering incoherent words as he did so.</p><p>That was when Aris crawled out of the vents.</p><p>"Aris!" Eden gasped, elated that her friend was unharmed. But as she pulled him to his feet, she noticed that he too seemed a little off. His eyes were wide, practically falling out of his eye sockets as he stared down in a daze.</p><p>"Aris? Aris, what's wrong? Talk to me, Aris!" Grabbing ahold of the boy's shoulder, Eden shook him gently only to receive no response what-so-ever. It was as if he was shell-shocked by whatever he and Thomas had discovered.</p><p>"Thomas, can you just calm down and talk to us," Newt said, trying to remain composed amid this growing mass panic.</p><p>"Ava." Thomas murmured, twisting the bed sheets and blankets into a firm rope before looping it around the handle of their bunker door. "Ava's still alive."</p><p>Eden's brows drew closer at that familiar name. "Ava? You mean Doctor Ava Paige?!"</p><p>"Yes! Ava Paige!" Thomas snapped, securing another knot with the bed sheet wrap.</p><p>"Ava?" Frypan scoffed. "Who the hell is-"</p><p>"It's WICKED!" Thomas practically screams at the top of his lungs as he whipped his head around to face his flabbergasted friends. "It's still WICKED. It's always been WICKED. " His voice then returned to barely comprehensible mumblings as he dragged a mattress off one of the bottom bunks. "They're coming." He said, pressing the mattress against the door. "They're coming right now to prepare us for some 'harvest' tomorrow. We gotta go." He repeated, this time rushing back towards the vents before glancing up at his friends. "We gotta get Teresa and get outta here!"</p><p>Snapping out of his daze, Aris immediately latched onto Eden's arm. "Let's go," He said urgently, dragging the girl towards the vents before diving down after Thomas.</p><p>Eden pressed her lips together, attempting to collect her disorientated thoughts. What Thomas and Aris said was so vague, she didn't know what to make of all this new information. But if what they said was true - that this really was WICKED's facility - then absolutely no good would come from staying there. She glanced over towards the boys, making eye contact with a few of them. In one, silent, and unanimous agreement, they crouched down and crawled into the vents, following their two overly curious friends.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>"The next exit up ahead," Aris told Thomas. "That should be the closest to the medical wing!"</p><p>Shoving the grated door open, Thomas scurried out for a quick perimeter check. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he quickly began ushering the rest of the teenagers out.</p><p>After making sure everyone was in the hallway, Aris took a moment to recompose his erratic breathing pattern before speaking. "You guys go ahead," He instructed, beginning to make his way back into the vents. "There's something I gotta do."</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked, brows furrowing.</p><p>"Trust me, it's important," Aris assured, noticing the many skeptical looks from the boys of the other maze. He sighed. "You guys wanna get outta here, right?" He pointed out, smiling as Thomas nodded his head. "Then let me do this. Eden, you coming?" He gestured the vents.</p><p>Eyes darting between her friend and the group of strangers, the raven-haired girl slowly shook her head. "No, I'll stay with them." She said, shrinking a little once she felt everyone's questioning gaze fall onto her. "You guys are going to rescue that girl Teresa, right?" Ignoring the creeping sense of embarrassment, she turned towards Thomas, who once again could only nod. "I can help. I've been here for days, I know the layout of this place better than anyone. And besides," She glanced at Aris. "There's something I need to grab."</p><p>"I'll go with him then," Winston volunteered, already crouching down beside the vent opening.</p><p>Thomas pressed his lips together. "Okay, you're with us, Eden." He stated it as if he were welcoming her into their group. "Let's go."</p><p>
  <em>That's right...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If this is really WICKED's facility...</em>
</p><p><em>Then surely, they would have </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em>.</em></p><p>As the group raced down the hallway, they took a sharp right at the next corner only to come face to face with a familiar doctor, nearly running her over in their state of emergency.</p><p>"Dr. Crawford?" Eden squeaked.</p><p>Taking a step back to collect herself, the young woman's eyes swept across the group of kids before narrowing in suspicion. "What are you kids doing out?"</p><p>As if answering her question for them, the many alarms situated on the walls of the compound blared to life, flashing shades of orange as sirens buzzed through the air. The six teenagers slowly glanced up towards the ceiling, realizing that they now couldn't even lie their way out of this one.</p><p>Dr. Crawford's face stiffened. She turned on her heel, attempting to make a run for it, but Thomas was quicker. Reaching out to grab hold of her arm, he twisted it behind her back and slammed her against the nearest wall.</p><p>"Where is she?!" He roared, causing the doctor to flinch in terror.</p><p>"D-Down the hallway, to the left.".</p><p>Satisfied with her answer, Thomas looked to the rest of the group with a nod. "Let's go," He said, pushing Dr. Crawford along as they hurry down the corridor.</p><p>After a few more intersections, occasionally stopping to ask the hostage doctor for directions, the group rounded another corner, only to see a masked guard with a gun standing on the other end of it.</p><p>"Freeze! Stay where you are!" He yelled, as if that would get them to a standstill like obedient dogs. Ducking down and retracing their steps, the group narrowly dodged the shot as three triangular-shaped clamps latch themselves onto the wall, blue electric currents flowing through the metal arms.</p><p>"Why are they shooting at us?!" Frypan shouted as they dashed towards the other end of the hall.</p><p>Though unlike the others, Minho slid to a stop in the middle of a hallway, turning back around.</p><p>"Minho?!" Thomas exclaimed, still keeping his grip tight on the doctor's arm. "Minho, what the hell are you doing?!"</p><p>Eden peered over her shoulder, just in time to see Minho charge forth. He let out a strained battle cry as the guard rounded the corner. And as if it were a perfectly timed stunt, the boy jumped, ramming his knee into the guard's chest and knocking him unconscious against the wall.</p><p>Everyone hurried back to where the guard now laid, assessing the situation. Eden glanced up at the cream-coloured walls, spotting a small splatter of blood where the guard presumably bumped his head. She felt a chill rattle up her spine as she peeked over at the perpetrator of this scenario, making a mental note not to ever get on his bad side.</p><p>"Shit, Minho." Newt murmured, casting his friend an impressed look to which he returns with pride.</p><p>Bending down, Thomas snatched the gun out of the guard's iron grip. After taking a moment to examine it, he nods before pressing it against Dr. Crawford's back, ushering her off in search of Teresa.</p><p>As Thomas forced the doctor down the medical wing of the facility, Eden noticed they had passed where she remembered Dr. Crawford's office to be. "Hey, guys," She called out nervously, pointing towards the occupied room. "I'm pretty sure it's this one."</p><p>The boys' expressions contorted with confusion for a split second as they turned towards the woman, only to find that her face has grown noticeably paler. Realizing that she had, in fact, lied to them to buy time, Thomas grit his teeth in frustration. Shoving the woman through her office door, he immediately raised his gun for the medical staff to see, causing them to fly into a panicked state. Everyone else filed into the room, Frypan closing the door behind them.</p><p>"Where is she?" Thomas yelled, pointing the gun at one of the doctors as they lined up against the back wall. "Where is she?!"</p><p>As if answering his call, a quiet cough sounded from behind a set of drawn curtains, alerting Thomas as he immediately tossed the gun towards Minho.</p><p>"Get down!" The dark-haired boy shouted, watching as the doctors gingerly dropped to their knees, raising their hands as a sign of surrender.</p><p>Ordering Frypan to keep watch of the entrance, Newt then turned towards the doctors. He scanned around the room, spotting several rolls of medical tape. "Jack, Eden. Help me tie them up," He instructed, tossing them a roll each.</p><p>Jack nodded wordlessly, immediately getting to work.</p><p>"R-Right," Barely catching the tape, Eden moved to kneel down in front of Dr. Crawford as she began wrapping the tape around the woman's wrists. "I'm really sorry about this," She muttered frantically, being sure to keep the bind as tight as possible.</p><p>Dr. Crawford frowned. "You're never gonna get away with this," She hissed.</p><p>Pursing her lips, Eden chose to ignore the woman's comment as she finished up her restraints. She then glanced around the room, searching for the item she came for with no avail.</p><p>"Dr. Crawford, where do you keep the research notes?" She asked.</p><p>The dark-skinned woman narrowed her eyes, a little perplexed by why a teenager would be asking for such a thing. But it didn't take long before she turned her head away, refusing to answer the question.</p><p>Eden bit her bottom lip, rising to her feet, she opted to search the room for herself when Frypan let out a cry in alarm.</p><p>"Guys? They're coming! Where do we go?"</p><p>Newt looked down, noticing the utility table at the centre of the room. "Everyone, move!" He warned, throwing the table down on its side before wedging it between the door and a nearby shelf.</p><p>Almost immediately after he lodged the table in place, the guards attempted to open the door to the doctor's office, only to find that it had been barricaded. They quickly resorted to brute force, ramming with their shoulders over and over again as the door began to pry open inch by inch. With each attempt to bust open the door, Eden let out a small yelp as her heart sank into the pits of her stomach.</p><p>"Get back! Get back!" Minho yelled over the loud ramming as he shoved everyone that still dawdled before him, including her, backwards into a smaller office space as he aimed the gun towards the door. "Okay, we gotta get outta here!" He stated the obvious. "Where do we go?!"</p><p>Eden looked around, searching for anything that could possibly help their situation when something caught her attention from the corner of her eyes.</p><p>At the corner of the inner office, there was a short bookshelf filled edge to edge with binders.</p><p>Ignoring the commotion around her, she quickly darted towards the structure and began filing through each and every one of the binders, skimming all the spinal labels.</p><p>After helping Teresa to her feet, Thomas quickly took notice of the window behind them. "Everyone get back!" He shouted before grabbing a nearby stood and slamming it into the window, only for it to wobble upon impact. Figuring they needed more force, he scans the area to find another stool right behind Newt. "Newt! Help, help!" He called, pointing at the seat.</p><p>The blond nodded as he grasped the stool. "Ready?"</p><p>"One... Two... Three!"</p><p>With that final count, the two swung their stools against the window, causing it to immediately shatter upon impact.</p><p>"Go, go, go!" Thomas ushered, using the legs of the stool to clear out the remaining shards that stuck out from the frame as Teresa laid down a thick blanket in an attempt to prevent everyone from getting too cut up in their escape. "Everyone through!" He yelled.</p><p>As Thomas helped Teresa across, while Newt, Frypan, and Jack jumped over themselves, Eden continued to linger in the office, still crouching beside the bookshelf as she combed through the binders.</p><p>"Hey!" Minho snapped, glaring at her as he slowly backed towards the window. "Get your shuckin' butt moving!"</p><p>"I-I'm sorry, just... give me a second!" Eden said, her voice quaking from the sheer amount of adrenaline that pumped through her veins.</p><p>"Eden?" Noticing that the girl wasn't with them, Newt whipped his head around. "Eden, what the bloody hell are you doing?!"</p><p>Eden didn't respond. Instead, her attention had been stolen away by what seemed to be the item she was searching for. Tracing her index finger across the text, she read it through once more, feeling her breath hitch in excitement as a tingling sensation jolted through her limbs.</p><p>----------</p><p>
  <b>virus VC321xb47</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Code Name: The Flare</b>
</p><p>
  <b>copy #12</b>
</p><p>----------</p><p>Yanking the three-inch binder off the shelf with a smile tugging at her lips, she pressed it firmly against her chest before rushing over towards the window. "I found it!" She exclaimed in relief.</p><p>"Great, now hurry!" Newt ushered, still not knowing what she was so hellbent on looking for. "Here," He offered a hand, cautiously helping the girl over the hazardous window before glancing towards his friend. "She's through, Minho!" He informed, resting a hand on the small of her back as he pushed her along to join the rest of the group.</p><p>Receiving his cue, Minho tossed the gun behind him. "Thomas!" He called out, grinning proudly when the boy caught it without any trouble.</p><p>After securing both hands around the gun, Thomas dashed to the front of the group. "Stay behind me," He told everyone before swinging the door open only to come face to face with a guard. He flinched for a split second before pulling the trigger in a panic, launching one of those magnetic clasps that attached itself to the guard's chest. The guard immediately crumbled to the ground, but he didn't die. Instead, he began twitching erratically as blue electrical currents coursed through his limbs, stemming from the small metal clasp.</p><p>Though shocked at first, Thomas quickly snapped out of his daze as he gestured the rest to follow. "Come on!"</p><p>Sprinting down the hallway as quickly as possible, Thomas saw another intersection coming up in the front. He was about to keep moving forward when he spotted Janson, as well as a crew of guards with large glass shields, approaching them from the opposite end.</p><p>"Which way?" He shouted back in alarm.</p><p>"Left!" Eden replied through gasping breaths.</p><p>Soon, the large industrial door came into sight just at the end of the corridor. With his free hand, Thomas pulled the stolen keycard out of his pocket just as they began to pull up against it. "Come on, come on." He murmured, frantically swiping the card over the access pad only for it to light up red. "Shit!" He cussed, trying several more times as his breath became more ragged with each attempt while the machine repeatedly denied their access.</p><p>"Thomas!" Janson called out, slowly inching in on the escapees.</p><p>Tossing the card to the ground in frustration, Thomas pulled back the slide and aimed the gun towards the rat-faced man, who immediately threw up his hands in a sign of surrender.</p><p>As Thomas began demanding Janson to open the door for them, Minho picked up the keycard and tried blowing into the card reader before attempting again, only for it to light up red once more. "Why the shuck is this thing not working?!" He yelled, slamming his palms into the metal-clad door.</p><p>"I-It's the guard!" Eden babbled. "He probably doesn't have the right to access this door."</p><p>"Well, is there another exit?!" Frypan asked.</p><p>Swallowing hard, Eden shook her head. "Even if there was, we're cornered!" She said, glancing over her shoulder at Janson who's face distorts into a chilling smirk.</p><p>"You're not getting through that door, Thomas." She heard him say.</p><p>Then, as if the universe were slapping him in the face, the access pad suddenly lit up green. A new set of sirens began buzzing throughout the compound as the door clicked open. Eden snapped her head around, watching as the door rose up to reveal both Aris and Winston standing on the other side.</p><p>"Hey, guys." The former greeted.</p><p>"Aris!" Eden cried, stumbling forward to wrap her free arm around him. Her legs nearly giving out beneath her.</p><p>The rest of the group filed into the cargo area behind her, a little surprised that Aris had actually managed to pull through on his promise.</p><p>"Thomas!" Once he crossed into the spacious room, Newt looked back at the boy who still stood a distance away from the door. "Come on, let's go!" He hollered.</p><p>Thomas glanced back, briefly making eye contact with Janson before continuously firing the gun as he slowly backed towards the exit. Janson quickly ducked low, the shield squad shifting forth to protect him.</p><p>Once he ran out of those electric clamps, Thomas grunted. Throwing the empty gun in their direction, he turned on his heel and started making a mad dash down the corridor.</p><p>Noticing what he was up to, Janson bolted after him as he activated his wrist communicator. "Shut the main vault door, shut it down now!" He yelled urgently.</p><p>Responding to his command, the sizeable metal-clad door slowly began to descend from the ceiling, accompanied by the same blaring alarm. The group collectively broke into a panicked state, watching as Thomas got closer and closer.</p><p>"Thomas! Run!" Teresa was the first to scream, and Eden soon found herself joining in, shouting at the top of her lungs as the door was now mere inches off the ground. Just when it looked like he might not make it, Thomas jerked his body backwards, dropping flat as he barely slid through the narrow opening to safety.</p><p>Once he was through, Aris rushed forth to destroy the access panel, preventing the door from opening ever again. Minho and Winston, on the other hand, noticed a few packs piled up against the corner of the cargo zone. The latter finding a pistol buried under the heap.</p><p>"Are you okay?!" Eden questioned as Thomas's friends pulled him to his feet, swiftly scanning him for any external injuries.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine." Thomas huffed, fixating his gaze on Janson, who rammed up against the metal door, making a few attempts to open the vault with no avail. With no way to stop their escape, he pressed himself against the small window, glaring at them with an expression full of hatred and annoyance.</p><p>"Keep going," Thomas instructed, making his way back to the front of the group, but not before spiting Janson one last time as he flipped him off.</p><p>Bolting past cargo boxes and through the loading zone of the facility, the group arrived before another massive, industrial-style door. The guards were beginning to assemble behind them, rushing down from the metal staircases with the sole mission of capturing the escapees. But this time, the door opened easily.</p><p>With the pull of a red lever, the large iron gates began to part ways with a loud screech, allowing a strong gust of wind to whirl past, nearly knocking them off their feet. Eden flinched, staring out into the daunting desert night as a sandstorm seemed to be kicking up in the distance. She clutched the binder closer to her chest, recoiling slightly.</p><p>"Come on, come on!" Thomas's voice snapped her out of her hesitant state. She bit her bottom lip, quickly steeling herself before following the others and charging headfirst into the unknown world.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. [Chapter 3]  Neither Dead nor Alive</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[Chapter 3]</em>
</p><p>
  <b>Neither Dead nor Alive</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Scrambling to climb up a sand dune, Eden collapsed to her knees, panting heavily. Her legs were already cramping from the sheer amount of running and climbing they've done, and now her arms felt as if they were about to fall off as the binder weighed like a ton of bricks.</p><p>Newt seemed to notice her lagging behind as he reached out towards her. "Come on," He ushered between breaths. "We've gotta keep moving."</p><p>Eden stared at his outstretched hand, her dark brown eyes glazed with a sense of exhaustion. The sand dunes seemed to be on an endless uphill incline, and all she wanted to do at this point was lay down and close her eyes. But a loud rumble from behind instantly had her rethinking her options.</p><p>She snapped her head around, watching in a mixture of shock and terror as multiple guards, some on foot while others riding on ATV quads, darted out of the WICKED facility. Their motor roared in a fury along with the storm, flashlights sweeping from left to right as they scoured the desert for the escapees.</p><p>"For the love of-" Newt cussed under his breath once he spotted the guards. "Hurry, let's go!" He shouted, urgently gesturing for her to grab his hand.</p><p>Eden sucked in a harsh breath before reaching up towards the boy. Though before their fingers could connect, Newt took the initiative and latched onto her, swiftly pulling her to her feet. "Thomas, they're coming!" He warned, pushing the girl in front of him as he helped her up the hike.</p><p>"Stay low! We'll lose them in the storm!" Thomas replied, motioning everyone to drop down as he army crawled away.</p><p>Several sand dunes later, the group finally felt safe enough to slow down as they were now quite a distance away from the WICKED facility, evident by the absence of the roaring engines. Teresa, currently leading the group, followed a downhill slope, stopping in front of a horizontal glass structure.</p><p>"Teresa, hang on! Stay together!" Thomas called after her, watching as she patted along the glass panes, seemingly searching for something.</p><p>"Where are we even going?!" Minho questioned over the howling winds.</p><p>"In here!" Teresa shouted, pointing at an opening within the structure. "Come on!"</p><p>"Teresa, wait!" Attempting to stop her, Thomas reached a hand out only to see her leap through the shattered glass. With no other option, he gestured for the rest to follow her. "Alright, get inside! Get inside, everyone!" He yelled.</p><p>Beyond the glass panes, there was a large slope that led towards a slightly more evened-out surface of the sand. One by one, the escapees hopped in. First Minho, then Jack and Winston, then Frypan, Aris and Eden, and finally Newt and Thomas.</p><p>Once he reached the bottom, Minho immediately took off his stolen pack and whipped out a flashlight, shooting a fluorescent beam of light through the darkness of the structure.</p><p>Eden squinted a little, forcing her eyes to readjust to the brightness of the flashlight as she followed Minho's rigid movements.</p><p>In stark contrast to the ferocious sandstorm blowing outside, the area within the structure was quiet, almost peaceful. The ground was completely covered in sand, fallen debris and pillars piled high left and right with tangling wires and iron pipes sticking out. There was a long tunnel on either side of them, stretching out into a dark unknown.</p><p>"Where the hell are we?" Minho muttered.</p><p>Thomas's eyes darted around. "We gotta go," He waved, pressing the already exhausted group to keep moving. "We gotta-"</p><p>"No. Thomas, stop!" Before he could begin down one end of the tunnels, Teresa raised her voice, causing the boy to halt in his tracks. "Tell me what's going on." She demanded.</p><p>Everyone then turned to Thomas, staring at him, eyes filled with expectation. They had just broken out of the facility that rescued, fed, and sheltered them after the horrors they endured in the maze. They threatened doctors, shattered windows and risked getting tasered by those electric guns, solely based on a discovery both him and Aris made.</p><p>It was time for some answers.</p><p>Pressing his lips together, Thomas took a few steps towards his waiting friends. "It's WICKED," He said, repeating the same words he did back in the bunker. "WICKED lied to us; we never escaped. Me and Aris, we found bodies." His breath quickened, eyes hazing over as he recalled the scene back in the restricted room. "Too many to count."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Minho raised an eyebrow. "Dead bodies?"</p><p>"No, but they weren't alive either," Thomas replied stiffly. "They had them strung up, with tubes coming out." He paused for a moment, jaw clenching. "I think they were being drained." He then said, glancing up at the rest of the group.</p><p>Eden felt a chill rattle down her spine.</p><p>Just as the teenagers sunk into a contemplative silence, Aris spoke. "They have Rachel," He blurted out.</p><p>"What?" Eden turned to look at him, wide-eyed, the words barely getting past her throat.</p><p>Keeping his eyes glued to the sandy ground, Aris balled his hands into fists. "Not just Rachel..." He muttered, voice choking up as he continued. "Alejandra, Charlotte, Mae, Florence, Diana, Ellis, Miyoko-"</p><p>"Aris, Aris!" Noting that his voice was growing more strained with each name he listed off, Eden grabbed the boy by his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. Her brows drew closer, noticing that his eyes had turned glossy with tears. "Calm down, alright?" She whispered, trying to keep her own voice from trembling alongside his ragged breaths. "It's going to be okay."</p><p>Aris bit his bottom lip, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>"They had Tim too," Thomas added solemnly.</p><p>Everyone's faces fell.</p><p>"Tim?" Eden asked gingerly, though she could most likely guess the answer.</p><p>"He escaped the maze with us," Jack explained, expression turning grim. "They took him the first night."</p><p>"Last time we saw him was during our first examination when we got there," Frypan recalled in a shaky voice.</p><p>"There's something inside of us that WICKED wants, and it's something in our blood." Thomas continued, his chestnut coloured eyes scanning over each of the escapees. "So we have to get as far away from them as possible."</p><p>"Okay," Newt began to nod, slowly coming to terms with their circumstances. "So, what's the plan? You do have a plan, right?" He asked, glancing up at their fearless leader.</p><p>Thomas ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I-I don't know..."</p><p>Newt's brows furrowed. "We followed you out here, Thomas." He pointed out, growing frustrated with his friends' typical poor planning skills. "And now you're saying that you have no idea where we're going or what we're doing?"</p><p>Like a guilty child, Thomas's gaze dropped to the ground, unable to muster up a response.</p><p>"Wait," Eyes shooting open, Aris let out a light gasp. "Janson said something about people hiding in the mountains. Some kind of resistance or army." He reminded, turning to Thomas for confirmation.</p><p>"The Right Arm," He slowly began to nod, looking as if the thought had crashed over him like a tidal wave. "If they're really against WICKED, maybe they can help us."</p><p>"People. In the mountains. Mountain people," Newt murmured, eyes darting between Thomas and Aris as if asking whether or not they were serious. "That's your plan?" He questioned.</p><p>"It's the only chance we have," The boy replied simply.</p><p>Newt stilled.</p><p>"Hey, guys. Check this out." Before anyone could say anything more, Winston called out to the group. "Minho, give me a light."</p><p>Complying with his request, Minho crouched down beside the olive-skinned boy, shining his flashlight towards the ground. Etched in the sand, a trail of footsteps immediately came into view, seeming to lead down towards one of the two glass tunnels.</p><p>"Someone's been down here," Minho remarked tensely, tracing his finger over the faint trail to make it more visible.</p><p>"Then that's where we're going," Thomas swallowed before cautiously stepping forward, leading the group down into the darkness of the tunnel.</p><p>As Eden stepped forth to follow, she felt a light tug on her upper arm that halted her movements. She peered over her shoulder, spotting Aris, staring down at his feet with an acute frown. She tilted her head to the side, about to ask if anything was wrong when he lifted his gaze to meet hers in a silent, desperate look.</p><p>
  <em>Don't die.</em>
</p><p>Receiving his message through that simple gesture, Eden felt a wringing sensation clench at her heart. That's right, all of their friends were now gone. They had no idea where Harriet and Sonya were, while the rest of the girls were in the hands of WICKED, forever trapped in a state where they were neither dead nor alive. She felt her bottom lip quiver at the thought as moisture began to gather in her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>No, she couldn't cry. Not when Aris was relying on her. </em>
</p><p>Quickly bringing those bubbling emotions to a standstill, she bit down on her bottom lip and blinked back the tears.</p><p>
  <em>Instead, she would bury them in her heart, just as she had vowed to do.</em>
</p><p>Keeping an arm wrapped around the thick binder, Eden moved to rest her free hand over Aris's trembling one. Then, she gave a small yet reassuring nod.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>"Thomas, help me out here," Minho said, pointing at one of the plastic shutters.</p><p>It had been about five minutes since the group began their way through the abandoned building. From the looks of it, the placed used to be a shopping mall of sorts as the sides of the tunnel were lined with stores of different kinds.</p><p>With Thomas's help, the two managed to lift open the shutters as they led the group into what seemed to be a clothing store. Frypan found a lantern, while Newt discovered several more portable flashlights.</p><p>"Here, use these," He said, beginning to pass them out.</p><p>Taking the flashlight with a nod in thanks, Eden switched it on and began exploring the room.</p><p>Despite being a clothing store of some sort, the items that littered the floors seemed to be pretty random at best. From actual clothes and bags to a construction hammer and water jugs on the table. There was even a dog bobblehead, nodding on one of the upper shelves.</p><p>"Looks like people lived here," Minho noted, picking up a jean jacket from the ground as he shook off the dirt and dust.</p><p>"Well, where are they now?" Newt asked skeptically.</p><p>Finding a faux leather jacket, Thomas cleared his throat. "Let's pack some of this stuff up," He instructed, quickly shaking the jacket before throwing it on. "Grab anything you think you might need. Minho and I'll go scout around the building. We'll meet back here." He said, receiving a brief nod from everyone. Then after gesturing for Minho to follow him, the two were off.</p><p>Sweeping the ball of light across the floor, Eden quickly spotted a heavy-duty backpack sprawled on the ground, just large enough to fit the binder and a few more things. She crouched down next to the pack and began dusting it off.</p><p>"Hey, guys. I found some water." Frypan called out, lugging over a large plastic bottle, still filled with what they could only hope to be freshwater.</p><p>"There are some water bottles here too," Jack said, standing by one of the shelves.</p><p>"Try to avoid the plastic ones," Eden warned almost instinctively.</p><p>Newt glanced at her, estranged by her advice. "Why?"</p><p>"I read that if heated up, plastic can release some really harmful chemicals into the water," Eden explained, running her fingers through the options before picking out two of the taller ones. "We're going out into the Scorch, right?" She asked, looking towards Newt, who slowly nodded. "Then, we should be as careful as possible." She concluded with a gentle smile.</p><p>Watching as she made her way over to Frypan to fill her two bottles, Newt thought on her words for a moment before nodding in understanding. Heading over to the shelf, he grabbed a couple of metal bottles.</p><p>Returning to her bag and the binder, Eden inserted the two fully-filled bottles into their designated holder on either side of the pack. Then after giving the binder one last look, she carefully slid it in.</p><p>"Eden, was it?" A soft voice sounded behind her.</p><p>Slowly turning her head towards that familiar yet foreign voice, Eden blinked as she spotted Teresa, standing behind her with a small pile of clothes in her arms. She slowly nodded, suddenly feeling a little anxious from being around another stranger.</p><p>"Do you want to change? There are some clothes back there that might fit you too," She said, nudging her chin towards a small area behind what seemed to be a few mannequins with their faces charred off.</p><p>"No, I'm okay. Thank you," Shaking her head, Eden felt herself relax a little at Teresa's kind gesture. "These clothes are still new, so they're fine. But I'll grab a jacket."</p><p>Teresa nodded before ducking behind an old room divider, beginning to change into her new clothes.</p><p>Zipping up her backpack, Eden made her way over to the cluster of mannequins, trying her best to ignore the unsettling feeling as she picked out a classic, army green utility jacket to wear.</p><p>Now geared with a jacket, a backpack and some water, she then wandered out of the clothing store in search of a specific place.</p><p>Following the central tunnel of the abandoned shopping mall, Eden darted her flashlight from left to right, peering through every set of plastic shutters as she tried to get a gauge on what each shop once was.</p><p>After a little more walking, she noticed that one of the shutters up ahead still happen to be half-open. Briskly pacing over, she crouched down just low enough so that she could peek through the five-inch gap with the help of her flashlight. Her face immediately lit up when the circle of fluorescent light landed on a familiar red cross, printed onto the back wall of the shop.</p><p>There it was.</p><p>Her bread and butter.</p><p>Crawling under the open shutters and into the abandoned pharmacy, Eden knelt beside the shelves as she began searching through the medical supplies, setting aside everything she thought they'll need on the perilous journey ahead. She had found a small first aid kit lying on a table near the entrance, through the items within seemed to be thoroughly salvaged and defected. So instead, she opted to dump everything out and reuse the bag, building her own medical kit.</p><p>Plasters in a variety of different sizes and shapes, several rolls of gauze dressings and sponges, a few towels, eyewash, medical tape, safety pins, tweezers, scissors. She was so focused on searching through the shelves that she didn't notice when a set of footsteps began approaching the pharmacy. It's wasn't until a loud creak sounded from behind did she jolt in her spot, snapping her head around in surprise to see Newt lifting up the plastic shutters with a wide-eyed look.</p><p>"Sorry, did I scare you?" He apologized, raising the shutters entirely, so he didn't have to crawl through.</p><p>"A-A little..." Eden murmured, letting out a small sigh of relief as she watched him step in, noticing for the first time in hours that he had a limp as he walked. "Did you need something?"</p><p>"Nothing from here, no," Scanning his surroundings with the help of his flashlight, Newt shook his head. "I just want to know what you were so bloody hellbent on getting back there."</p><p>Eden blinked for a moment, confused by what he was implying when the thought struck her. "Oh, here," Letting out a small gasp, she turned to rummage through her backpack, pulling out the thick binder and holding it up with both hands for him to see.</p><p>Raising an eyebrow at her, Newt shone his flashlight over the cover, index finger dragging across the surface as he read out the title.</p><p>"Code Name: The Flare...?" He muttered, brown eyes flickering up towards Eden as if asking her to explain.</p><p>"They're research notes," She said. "I figured if we're gonna be out here, we'll need to know as much as possible about the world and this virus to maximize our chances at survival." She then peered up to meet his gaze with a sheepish smile. "Knowledge is power, you know?"</p><p>Newt didn't immediately respond. Instead, his attention shifted back and forth between the printed words and the raven-haired girl. Swallowing down a breath, he slowly began to nod in understanding. "Yeah," A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah, that's brilliant." He said, staring directly at her.</p><p>Eden averted her eyes shily, not expecting such an outright compliment from the boy. "Is that all?" She asked, reeling the binder back against her chest.</p><p>"Oh. Here, take this," Reminded of his other objective, Newt reached down to pull out a gray scarf from his pocket. "We decided it'd be best for everyone to have one. Never know when a sandstorm will kick up again."</p><p>"R-Right. Thank you," Eden stammered, gingerly taking the scarf from him before wrapping it around her neck.</p><p>Noting that the colour actually matched with her overall outfit, Newt huffed out a light laugh. "Are you done looking around?" He asked, using his flashlight to sweep the area once more.</p><p>"Not yet," Flipping her hair over the loop the scarf made, Eden shook her head. "There are still a few things I'm looking for."</p><p>"Need some help?"</p><p>Eden's eyes rounded, slightly taken off guard by Newt's considerate offer. It then occurred to her that despite Minho's hot-headed tendencies, these boys might not be so bad at all. They never considered leaving her behind during their grand escape, and even went as far as to help and drag her along when she was lagging behind. Despite spending as long as she could remember around nothing but girls until Aris showed up, she felt as if she could quickly get used to the presence of these boys.</p><p>"If you don't mind," She beamed softly.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Scavenging through the rest of the store, Eden managed to compile a little more supplies that the group might need during their search for the Right Arm. From a box of disposable gloves to a pack of pre-soaked cleansing wipes, even a small digital thermometer that remained unopened.</p><p>As she passed one of the more scarcely stocked sections of the pharmacy, she noticed a few unopened bottles hidden at the back of the shelf, as if someone were intentionally trying to hide it from others. She reached over, pulling out a small bottle labelled 'Aspirin.' Figuring that it could come in handy in the future, she placed it down next to the growing pile of medical supplies.</p><p>"Hey, Eden?" Newt called out from the other side of the store. "Come check this out."</p><p>Following the sound of his voice, Eden peeked around the corner, spotting Newt crouching before one of the bottom shelves, a frosted plastic bottle in his hands. "Did you pack any of this stuff? Thought it'd be pretty useful." He said, showing her the label.</p><p>
  <em>Isopropyl Alcohol - Rubbing Alcohol.</em>
</p><p>Eden nearly choked on her saliva.</p><p>"N-No way! Where did you find this?!" She exclaimed, nearly stumbling over her feet as she rushed over to take the bottle from him with both hands, staring down in amazement.</p><p>Newt raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the sudden burst of enthusiasm from who he's so far been able to tell, a rather timid girl. "There are four more down here," He said, gesturing the lower shelf.</p><p>Immediately dropping to her knees, Eden reached in. "I can't believe it..." She whispered, carefully pulling out another unopen bottle with her eyes wide, cradling them in her hands as if they were some priceless treasure. "These were so rare back in the Glen..." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear.</p><p>Upon hearing that unfamiliar word, Newt blinked. "What's that? The Glen?" He repeated in confusion.</p><p>Eden met his gaze, equally as confused. "The Glen," She nodded. "The centre of the maze where we lived?"</p><p>Realizing the problem, Newt couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "We called ours, 'the Glade.'" He informed patiently.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry..." Eden gasped, feeling her face flush at their little communication mishap. "I guess since we named them ourselves, they're bound to be a little different, huh?" She giggled.</p><p>"Yeah," Newt smiled. "So, how many are you taking?" He then asked, nudging his chin at the bottles.</p><p>Pressing her lips together, Eden thought for a moment. "I think two should be fine," She concluded, slowly rising to her feet. "I'll go pack-"</p><p>Before she could finish her sentence, a loud whirring sound began echoing throughout the mall, causing Eden to nearly jump out of her skin. Newt stood up, darting his flashlight left and right, cautiously searching for the source of the noise when the lights hanging above suddenly flicker on, barely illuminating the pharmacy as well as the rest of the mall in a warm incandescent light.</p><p>As a sinking feeling began to creep into the pits of her stomach, Eden hurried back to where her bag and the binder laid, swiftly organizing all the medical supplies into the first aid kit before shoving both items into her pack. Securing the straps over her shoulders, she exchanged a quick glance with Newt, who simply nodded before hurrying out of the pharmacy and back to their designated meeting area.</p><p>"Is everyone here?" Teresa asked, spotting the two of them jogging over from a distance.</p><p>"No, Winston's still grabbing a few things," Jack replied as he zipped up his backpack.</p><p>Eden glanced around, suddenly remembering something. "Did anyone find any food?"</p><p>"Don't worry, I got it," Frypan assured, a broad grin growing on his cheeks as he stood a little taller with pride. "I found a grocery store a little further ahead. They had some dry crackers, peanuts and some canned soup." He listed off. "We'll be set for a few days."</p><p>"What's going on?" Winston shouted from a little further down the tunnel, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "Why did the lights suddenly turn on?"</p><p>"No idea," Frypan shrugged.</p><p>"Hey!" A loud roar echoed down the halls, drawing everyone's attention as they turn towards the source of the sound. Down the tunnel, where there were still glass panes on the roof of the mall, the silhouette of Thomas and Minho came into view as they skidded around the corner in the pale moonlight.</p><p>"Thomas?" Teresa murmured, watching as the boys dashed towards them, yelling something barely coherent between their heavy breaths.</p><p>The group would've questioned why, when the sounds of distorted screeching practically answered for them. Chasing after the two, several other figures rounded the corner. From a distance, they all looked like humans, with a proper head, torso, and all four limbs. But it was their mannerisms that betrayed who they are, or what they have become. Limping, flailing, clawing. And most of all...</p><p>That horrendous, bloodcurdling scream.</p><p>"Oh my god..." Eden murmured as her legs began to tremble.</p><p>"Run!" Minho shouted, swatting his arms forth. "Get out of here!"</p><p>"Shit! Let's go!" Newt cussed under his breath, threading his arm through the sleeve of his backpack before taking off, motioning everyone else to follow along as they broke into a full-blown sprint.</p><p>"Thomas! Minho! What the hell are those things?!" Winston yelled as they began racing up a set of unmoving escalators, the mad creatures hot on their heels, scrambling after them.</p><p>"Cranks! We saw them on the first day!" Thomas replied, quickly overtaking everyone else as they reached the second floor, once again leading the charge. "Keep going!"</p><p>"Which way?" Frypan shouted.</p><p>"Left!" Guiding the group towards the left hall, Thomas suddenly slid to a stop when a Crank dove out a nearby shop's display window.</p><p>Someone's flashlight had managed to shine onto the creature amid the panic, giving Eden a full view of the vile being as her blood ran cold. Despite its figure in the shadows, it could hardly be called a human anymore. With black, vine-like veins protruding out of its body, it staggered towards the group on unsteady feet. Stepping out from behind Thomas, Aris clenched his jaw as he readied a metal bat.</p><p>"Aris?!" Eden shrieked. "Aris, no!"</p><p>The Crank swung an arm forth, aiming for Aris's face only for the boy to unexpectedly duck, slamming his bat into its shin as it tumbled to the ground, snarling in pain.</p><p>The group immediately parted ways, wanting nothing to do with the horrific creature. Thomas and Teresa backed into another set of escalators, while the others were still left on the second-floor balcony.</p><p>"Aris! Aris, are you okay?!" Eden ran forth, grabbing onto her friend's face to check for injuries, feeling a sense of relief when the boy nodded breathlessly.</p><p>The solace was short-lived, however, as more screams erupted from behind the group. They turned their heads, noticing that three Cranks had managed to scramble up to the second floor and were now chasing them down around the balcony.</p><p>"Go! Go around!" Thomas instructed, trying to help Teresa avoid the relentless Crank Aris had knocked down.</p><p>"Move, move, move!" Pushing Eden and Aris along, Minho shouted.</p><p>Circling around the second-floor balcony, the rest of the group managed to make it to the other escalator. As Minho fought off the Cranks to buy time for the slower ones, namely Frypan and Eden, Jack stayed at the bottom as he ushered everyone else up. Once Eden passed them and began her climb upwards, Minho and Jack shared a nod and began to ascend themselves. The former going up with Thomas and Teresa while the latter followed the rest.</p><p>But just as he took a few steps upwards, a Crank leapt over from the balcony and latched itself onto Jack. Eden whipped her head around at the sound of his yelp, watching in horror as he barely managed to shake off the petrifying creature only to be tackled over the glass railings by another.</p><p>"Jack!" She cried, rushing back to grab his arm as he hung to the side of the escalator, the Crank still firmly glued to his back. "I can't..." She bit her bottom lip, trying as hard as she could to pull the boy up even though her grip was slowly slipping away.</p><p>When it seemed like she couldn't hold on any longer, another pair of hands appeared from her peripheral, securing around Jack's wrists. "On three!" Frypan instructed, giving Eden a quick look. "One... Two..."</p><p>Just when Frypan was about to shout 'three,' another Crank had taken the cue as its own. It jumped off the rails from across the balcony, grabbing onto both Jack and its kin, causing Eden and Frypan to lose their grip with the added weight. Jack let out a scream of terror, his voice echoing throughout the mall as he plummeted into the dark abyss below.</p><p>But there wasn't time for them to mourn the loss of a friend and ally, because almost immediately after Jack fell, another screech echoed throughout the second floor. Eden glanced up, spotting several more Cranks conjugating towards the escalators at an alarming rate.</p><p>"We gotta go!" She didn't even realize at that moment, but both Aris and Newt have since backtracked to grab them, snapping her out of her shell-shocked state.</p><p>"Stay in front of me!" Newt shouted, shoving Eden in front of himself as they ran down what seemed to be a sky-bridge on the third-floor of the shopping mall.</p><p>"Where the hell do we go?!" Minho questioned.</p><p>"Just keep moving!" Thomas yelled</p><p>Crossing the sky bridge and into another section of the mall, the group sprinted past several stores when a loud crash caught their attention. A Crank had dived out one of the display windows, shattering the glass and tackling Newt to the ground. It let out a bone-chilling scream, flailing and thrashing about as it attempted to bite the blond.</p><p>"Newt!" Minho shouted at the top of his lungs.</p><p>Eden felt her heart stop. Her first and immediate reaction was to run back and help, but Aris had grabbed ahold of her arm, preventing her from doing so. "I'll go help! You keep moving!" He assured, readying his metal bat.</p><p>But before either of them could do or say anything, Thomas beat them to the punch. Running towards the Crank at full speed, he drove his foot into its rib, effectively kicking the vile creature off his friend, sending it crashing through the glass railings and down the balcony.</p><p>"Newt, you good?!" Thomas asked, scrambling to help him to his feet.</p><p>"Yeah. Thanks, Tommy!"</p><p>Continuing through the mall, Minho suddenly skidded to a stop as he spotted a hoard of Cranks that began to gather in front of them. He gulped, noticing a small narrow hallway that extended to the right. "Through here, through here! Let's go!" He gestured everyone in before tailing after.</p><p>Halfway through the corridor, Thomas suddenly stopped and began trying to open one of the heavy-duty doors with no avail.</p><p>Eden snapped her head to the side, noting that the Cranks had followed them into the narrow walkway. "Guys, they're coming!"</p><p>"Thomas, it's not going to work!" Teresa stated, tugging at the handle of his backpack. "Keep going!"</p><p>Following her instructions, the group continued onward until they reached a dead end with three fire doors. Thomas immediately began ramming his shoulder into each of them, finding one with the weakest lock. "This one!" He yelled, slamming his body into the centre door once more as the rusted lock creaked at the added pressure.</p><p>"I'll hold them back," Attempting to buy them some time, Winston loaded the pistol he stole back at the WICKED compound and began shooting at the approaching Cranks. Aris raised his bat as he stood next to the olive-skinned boy, preparing himself for the worst.</p><p>As Thomas, Minho, and Frypan took turns throwing themselves against the fire door, it began to pry open little by little as the hinges loosened. But despite Winston's best efforts, the hoard of Cranks just didn't seem to be thinning out in any way.</p><p>"Get that door open!" He rushed, shooting down another Crank that was at this point, too close for comfort.</p><p>Ordering the others to stand back, Frypan steeled himself one last time before charging into the door, causing the hinges to finally fly off as a darkened parking lot came into view.</p><p>"Come on, let's go!" Minho called out, pushing everyone out the door before motioning Winston to follow.</p><p>Firing one last shot, the olive-skinned boy turned to run only for a bloody hand onto latch his bag, dragging him back into the infested mall as his head hit the floor. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, grabbing onto the fire door to prevent himself from being completely swallowed by the mass of bloodthirsty creatures. Thomas and Minho grunted, trying to keep the fire door from bursting open with the wave of Cranks.</p><p>Eden snapped her head around, eyes widening with alarm as she saw the deep red gashes the Cranks left on Winston's torso as Newt and Frypan managed to pry him out of theirs grasps, dragging him to safety. Securing his arms around their necks, they took off, racing to catch up with her, Aris, and Teresa.</p><p>"Eden, don't stop!" Aris shouted, grabbing onto her wrist and pulling her along.</p><p>After seeing that their friends had gotten a respectable lead ahead of the Cranks, Thomas and Minho exchanged a quick glance and nod. Counting to three, the two let go of the door in unison and began bolting forth, easily outrunning the snarling creatures to catch up with the rest.</p><p>Climbing her way up a mountain of concrete, iron pipes and other rubble, Eden peered down, spotting an area of the wreckage that curved inwards, creating a small den that should be just large enough to fit everyone in.</p><p>"This way!" She called out in a strained voice, gesturing everyone in her direction as she climbed in, quickly switching off her flashlight as the other slowly piled in.</p><p>Once Thomas slid under the protective overhead of their shelter for the night, he began counting up the people, making sure they had everyone.</p><p>"Jack," He whispered through heavy breaths, eyes scanning for the boy within the emptiness of the night. "Where's Jack?" He asked.</p><p>Frypan's glossy eyes fell to a downcast, slowly shaking his head.</p><p>"They... Did those things...?" Thomas murmured, not knowing what to say as his breath began to quicken once again.</p><p>Eden's lips parted, about to say something when a shrilling cry rang from directly above them, causing her to quickly slap her trembling palms over her mouth, choking back the yelp that threatened to escape her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to any god left in this ruined world that the Cranks couldn't somehow hear her ramming heart.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>As the Cranks that surrounded them begin to thin out in numbers, most of the group had slowly drifted off to sleep, uttered exhausted by the sheer amount of running, jumping, and climbing they've done in the past few hours. But among them, Eden found herself unable to fall asleep. Ever since her eyes adjusted to the darkness of their temporary shelter, her gaze never left Winston.</p><p>It was obvious he wasn't asleep yet, judging by how often he moved around, trying to get comfortable without disturbing the painful wound on his stomach. His brows were furrowed, and his breathing was shallow. His blood was soaking through the material of his shirt, slowly expanding outwards as the night drew on.</p><p>She thought about what to do. As much as she'd love to reach into her bag and pull out her newly assembled first-aid kit, she couldn't risk making any sounds that may draw any lingering Cranks in their direction. But she also had to hurry and bind something over Winston's wounds, especially if he wanted the bleeding to stop and get even the slightest amount of rest.</p><p>As she rubbed her chin in thought, her fingers suddenly brushed up against the soft material of the gray scarf Newt had given her earlier that night. She blinked a few times before inhaling a sharp breath, an idea striking her.</p><p>Quickly sliding the fabric off her neck, she held it in her hands as she crawled towards Winston, being careful not to step on anyone or anything. Gently tapping him on the shoulder, she watched as he slowly opened his eyes, letting out a light groan in the process.</p><p>Eden pressed her index finger against her lips as if telling him to remain quiet. She pointed down at her scarf, then gestured Winston's stomach.</p><p>Understanding her message, the boy shook his head warily.</p><p>Eden's brows drew close at his response as she firmly shook her head, effectively refusing his refusal. She inched closer, placing a hand at the base of his neck as she motioned for him to sit up.</p><p>Figuring he had no way to refuse in his weakened state, Winston complied, slowly sitting up with her help to a hunched position.</p><p>Staring down at his blood-soaked shirt, Eden pursed her lips. Then without further ado, she got to work, carefully wrapping the scarf around his stomach.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. [Chapter 4] The Glade and The Glen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>[Chapter 4]</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>The Glade and The Glen</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Eden spent most of the night drifting in and out of sleep, continuously shifting her attention between Winston and the distant howling of the Cranks. She thought about the numerous kids they left behind at the WICKED facility, as well as all the girls that were taken from their group during the first three days. They had and will be harvested, tied up and drained of whatever WICKED wants from them, and there wasn't anything she nor the others could do about it. She then thought about Jack, the boy she'd only known for a few hours, who plummeted to his death while trying to help everyone else escape the bloodthirsty Cranks.</p><p>As the first traces of dawn broke over the horizon of the desert, Eden sat up, figuring she wasn't going to get any rest either way. She stilled for a moment, staring past the shattered window of a nearby van and into the outstretched desert. </p><p>She thought back to those creatures from the night before, and the video message Doctor Ava Paige left for her group after they completed the maze trial. The Solar Storm, the Scorch, the Flare, the Cranks and WICKED's search for the Cure...</p><p>Why did the world turn out like this?</p><p>Before she could think further on the matter, Winston let out a soft groan, causing her to snap her head in his direction. </p><p>"Winston? Winston, can you hear me?" She scurried to the corner where he laid, asking in a hushed voice. </p><p>Shifting on his back, the olive-skinned slowly opened his eyes. He furrowed his brows, taking a moment to remember who she was before nodding weakly.</p><p>"Okay. Stay with me, alright?" She whispered, gently brushing away the hair that stuck to his face with the most reassuring smile she could muster at the moment. Focusing and holding her breath, she began listening for any form movement around the vicinity of their makeshift den. </p><p>After confirming that there were no Cranks around the area, she turned to grab her backpack. "Give me a second," She told the boy, pulling out the first aid kit from her bag as quietly as possible. </p><p>"This might hurt," She warned, receiving a strange look from him as she carefully untied the blood-stained scarf around his waist. As she lifted the fabric from his torso, the dried blood caused it to stick to his shirt, tugging at his wound as he let out a sharp hiss. </p><p>"I-I'm sorry!" Eden panicked. "I can help you. So just bear with me, okay?" </p><p>Though skeptical, Winston slowly nodded.</p><p>Removing the scarf in one swift yank, she turned back to her kit, taking out a clean towel and her water bottle. Opening the metal lid, she dumped a generous amount of water onto the towel, allowing it time to soak the liquid up before turning back to Winston. "Excuse me," She murmured, gingerly reaching forward to lift his shirt with a professional mindset, finally giving her full view of the deep gashes the Cranks had left the night before. </p><p>It ran from his chest to his abdomen, cut in jagged lines as his skin flared open with black blood and rotting flesh. She didn't even need to guess to know what would happen if someone were scratched or bitten by one of those things. But if they were immune as Ava Paige had claimed, Winston should be able to withstand this virus, right?</p><p>Wasting no time, she leaned forward to press the dampened towel onto the boy's stomach, wincing as he let out a cry in pain. </p><p>With his sudden yelp, everyone jolted awake. </p><p>Gently rubbing his eyes, Thomas was the first to rise to his feet.</p><p>"Are they gone?" Newt asked groggily, pushing himself up on his elbows.</p><p>"Yeah," Thomas said as he scanned the perimeter. "I think we're safe for now."</p><p>As the rest of the group slowly stirred, stretching out their rigid bodies, Eden folded the towel over onto a cleaner side, causing Winston to groan again.</p><p>"Hey!" Minho snapped his head around in alarm. "What the shuck are you doing?!" He shouted angrily, clearly getting the wrong idea about her intentions.</p><p>"N-Nothing! I'm just cleaning his wounds!" Eden shrank, though she never stopped applying pressure to the towel. "I just thought that even if we are immune, we still need to take proper precautions. It'll be really bad if he gets an infection because we didn't treat it properly," She hurried to explain herself, recoiling slightly under Minho's searing gaze.</p><p>Eyes shifting between Eden, the bloody towel and Winston, Minho's unsteady breath slowly began to even out as he approached Thomas. "Aris, I get, but you sure we can trust this one?" He said, nudging his chin towards the raven-haired girl. </p><p>Thomas pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say. "I-..."</p><p>"You can trust her." Aris intervened, stepping forth to shield his friend from the group's skeptical looks. "I can vouch for that."</p><p>"Aris...?" Eden peered up, eyes round.</p><p>"Actually, there's no one better than her for the job." He then added, stiffening up when he felt their questioning gazes fall to him.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Teresa asked. </p><p>"Back in the Glen, Eden was the Leader of our Medics," Aris said, standing a little taller as if he were attempting to boost his confidence as he spoke. </p><p>"The Glen?" Frypan raised an eyebrow. "The hell is that?"</p><p>"It's what they called their Glade," Newt elaborated. "And I'm guessin' their 'Medics' were like our 'Med-jacks,' yeah?" He glanced at Aris, who nodded. </p><p>Though he was a little confused by how Newt would know something like that, Aris kept talking. "Back when we were in the maze, Rachel was the one who led the charge out," He explained, eyes glazing over at the mention of her. "She found an exit after finding a Shade hole."</p><p>"Hold on," Frypan interrupted again. "A Shade? The shuck is that?" He looked to Newt, who this time, shrugged in response.</p><p>"A Shade," Eden squeaked, quietly repeating Aris's words as she set the bloody towel down and reached for a roll of gauze dressing. "It's what we called the giant monsters in the maze." </p><p>"So the Grievers?" Minho raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"We found a Shade hole, but we also got into a fight with one," Aris continued. "Rachel climbed up one of the walls to buy me some time to escape, but a Shade ended up knocking her off," He described, brows drawing closer as if the memories of the incident were replaying through his mind. "She fell and broke her leg."</p><p>Newt flinched. </p><p>"I managed to drag her back to the Glen, but that same night the Shades attacked."</p><p>Eden noticed that the others seemed to have stiffened a little at the mention of an attack.</p><p>"We thought Rachel was dead for sure when they destroyed the Medical Ward, but..." Swallowing down a harsh breath, Aris lifted his gaze to look directly at Thomas. "Eden helped her," He said just loud enough for everyone to hear. "She managed to get Rachel back into running shape, and we escaped the maze that same night."</p><p>"I really didn't do anything special though," Eden murmured, gently wrapping the gauze around Winston's stomach. "I told you, I just numbed the pain in her leg. She said it started to hurt again once we got into the helicopter, remember?"</p><p>"But you were the one who got her back to her feet, Eden," Aris stated as he peered over his shoulder. "Without Rachel, we would've never escaped. And she needed you to make that happen."</p><p>Taken off-guard by her friend's reassuring words, Eden grew speechless. She felt a little embarrassed knowing that Aris had such high regard for her. But at the same time, it also made her feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was pleasant - the feeling of being needed. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she uttered a bashful word of thanks. </p><p>Everyone looked to Thomas, waiting on his final decision.</p><p>"Alright," After a moment of thought, the boy with dark-brown hair nodded. "I'll leave Winston to you then," He crouched before Eden, who's eyes widened with surprise. "Take care of him and everyone else."</p><p>"T-There's really no need to ask me to," Immediately waving her hands, Eden shook her head, not expecting such an earnest request from the person who she's viewed as their leader since their grand escape. "I'd do it regardless, it's my job after all." She said, clasping her hands before her chest with a timid smile.</p><p>"Thanks," Thomas pressed his lips together, quickly scanning the area. "Okay, we should get moving once she's done with-"</p><p>"Wait!" Before he could finish his sentence, Eden interrupted him with a small yelp. "I'd also like to check on a few more people, if you don't mind," She requested nervously. </p><p>Thomas quickly scanned his friends before looking back at her. "Okay, who do you wanna look over?"</p><p>Eden rubbed her chin in thought, slowly recounting the events from last night's grand chase through the shopping mall. "Minho, Teresa... and Newt." She listed.</p><p>
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</p><p>After wrapping up Winston's gash, spending an uncomfortable amount of time avoiding eye contact while bandaging Minho's minor cuts, and making sure Teresa didn't suffer any external injuries from the Crank the night before, Eden finally moved onto helping Newt. She wasted no time pinpointing the large number of cuts on his right hand before getting to work.</p><p>"How did you know I had these?" Newt asked, watching as she gingerly dabbed an alcohol-soaked gauze pad onto his wound.</p><p>"You fell onto glass, Newt," Eden pointed out, lips weighing into a frown as she recalled the terrifying incident from the night before. "I'm more surprised only one hand is cut up like this."</p><p>"Good luck, I guess." He let out a small laugh before eyeing the opened bottle of rubbing alcohol. "Why didn't you use this stuff on Winston?"</p><p>Eden peered down. "I read that you shouldn't use it on a large scale wound. It could cause major damage to the person's muscles." </p><p>"Read?" Newt raised an eyebrow, remembering she said something similar about plastic bottles the night prior. "Where did you read about somethin' like that?"</p><p>"In a book that came up with me in the Cube," She replied.</p><p>"The Cube?" He thought for a moment. "Is that what you girls called the elevator shaft?"</p><p>Letting out a small gasp, Eden suddenly remembered that they had a difference between their terms. "Yea, sorry about that." She murmured sheepishly. "What did you guys call it?"</p><p>"Ours was called the Box," He explained with a smile.</p><p>"I see," Eden hummed curiously. "But yes, I read it from a first-aid guide book that came up with me in the Box," She continued, adjusting her words to fit in with the Glader terminology. "Ximena- Oh, that's our first-in-command, she gave it to me since it came up on the same trip." Setting down the gauze pad, she reached for a roll instead. "At first, it was a little difficult to understand everything, but I eventually figured it out."</p><p>"I bet," Newt grinned. "You're already a lot better than the Med-jacks we had."</p><p>"Really?" Eden glanced up, brown-eyes gleaming.</p><p>"Yeah," Newt nodded, barely holding back the urge to chuckle at how earnestly she displayed her emotions. "All those shanks did was sit on their asses until someone called for them. None of this, 'let me take a look at you,' stuff."</p><p>"I'm sure they were trying their best."</p><p>With Eden's light-hearted giggle, the space between the two fell into a small, comfortable silence. Eden kept her head down, continuing the routined motion of wrapping the gauze roll around his cuts when she noticed something. </p><p>Now that she was looking at it, Newt's hands were a lot larger than hers, quite befitting of his tall stature. His palms were littered with callouses and blisters, suggesting he had a rather strenuous and involved job back in the Glade. They greatly contrasted her own, which were delicate and practically spotless by comparison. Her eyes hazed over for a moment as she absently brushed her thumb across his callouses, noting that even though they were stiff and hardened with use, the rest of his skin was somehow still soft to the touch. </p><p>"Eden?" Newt called out, quickly pulling the girl out of her train of thoughts. "Eden, you in there?"</p><p>Hearing her name, Eden snapped her head up, locking eyes with the blond for a brief moment as her mind attempted to process what she had just done. It took a while, but when it finally went through, she felt her face immediately began to flare up with embarrassment as she flushed a bright crimson. </p><p>"Y-Yes? What is it?" She stammered, quickly avoiding his gaze as she returned to her duties of dressing his wounds. </p><p>Estranged by the sudden rigidness in her movements, Newt raised an eyebrow but didn't pursue it. "I was asking about that girl who broke her leg," He said, voice growing a little quiet.</p><p>"You mean Rachel? What about her?" Despite her cheeks slowly lowering in temperature, her beating heart was still hammering against her chest, so much so she could hear it echoing in her ears.</p><p>"How did you manage to get her up and running so quickly?"</p><p>His words felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water onto her as Eden's movements suddenly stilled along with her heartbeat. "I used a serum." After taking a moment to recompose herself, she spoke. "There were these berries that could only be found in the southwest corner of the Glen. We called them the 'Deathberries.'"</p><p>"What did they look like?"</p><p>"They look a little like red olives," She described. "And they grow in large clusters."</p><p>Newt pursed his lips, trying recall if there was anything of sorts near the Deadheads of the Glade that matched the description. "We had them too," He said, eyes widening with realization. "Alby just told us not to touch them."</p><p>"Alby?" Eden blinked.</p><p>"Our first-in-command."</p><p>"It's a good thing he did, those things are really poisonous." Her brows furrowed. "'One will poison, and two will kill.' That's what I'd tell the new Glenners," She said, returning her attention back to his hand as she began taping up the gauze. "But I found out that if you reduced the amount you ingest by half, it'd only numb a certain part of your body. I managed to turn the juices into a serum, and that's what I used," She grimaced slightly at the thought. "Of course, the effects are only temporary. They wore off almost immediately after we got out of the maze." She paused for a moment before glancing up at him. "Why? Is something wrong?"</p><p>Newt stilled, staring at her for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "No, it's nothing."</p><p>Eden hummed as she flattened the last bit of medical tape on his wrist. "There. You're all done now," She announced, giving his hand a soft pat. </p><p>Reeling his palm back, Newt studied his freshly dressed wounds. "Thanks," He said, meeting her gaze with a small smile.</p><p>
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</p><p>By the time the group set off, the sun had fully risen over the horizon, golden rays stretching outwards into the baby blue sky as they trudge through what could only be described as a ruined wasteland. Metal wires and iron pipes stuck out of bricks and concrete, large sections and corners of the skyscrapers were melted and decaying. Every few inches, Eden would shiver once she'd notice the remnants of what used to be the signs of human life lying about. An arm here, a leg there. </p><p>Ava Paige and WICKED weren't lying. The Solar Storm had completely ravaged the earth. </p><p>"So 'the Glen,' huh?" Frypan sounded, attempting to make conversation with the two new additions to their group. </p><p>Aris and Eden nodded. </p><p>"I never imagined there'd be other mazes out there," Minho remarked as he rested his hands behind his head. "Especially one with nothing but girls."</p><p>Newt looked to Aris. "How was it, you lucky bastard?"</p><p>"It's not as fun as it sounds," Aris replied flatly. "By the time I woke up, they had me tied to a tree and were arguing about whether or not to throw me into the maze."</p><p>Everyone turned towards Eden, who immediately began to wave her hands in a panic.</p><p>"I-It wasn't my idea!"</p><p>"No, Eden was one of the people defending me," Aris laughed a little. "Ximena, our first-in-command and these other girls, Beth and Alejandra, were the ones who were suspicious of me. Thought I was a spy or a jinx."</p><p>"They were under a lot of stress," Eden reasoned, attempting to make a defense for her friends. "I mean, it was a little odd, having a boy suddenly come up in the Cube when they've only sent girls for the last three years."</p><p>"Yeah, that's how we felt when Teresa showed up," Frypan chuckled.</p><p>"At least we didn't tie her to a tree," Minho pointed out with a dry laugh. "Instead, this butt-load of sunshine started throwing rocks at us from the lookout tower." He said, smugly eyeing Teresa.</p><p>"I was confused," Teresa justified. "Imagine waking up in a room with nothing but a bunch of teenage boys staring at you."</p><p>Eden couldn't help but let out a wry laugh. She felt as if she's had a very similar experience relatively recently - standing in a bunker room with nothing but a bunch of teenage boys, that is.</p><p>"But you guys had a first-in-command too, huh?" Frypan continued, grinning a little. "So, what was the rest of your leadership system like?"</p><p>"Well, we had Ximena, who was first. And then we had our Second-in-Command, which was... Harriet," Eden listed, brown eyes dulling a little. "Other than that, everyone else had their own jobs. Things like the Medics, Builders, Gardeners, Wedgers, Cooks, and the Seekers."</p><p>"Seekers?" Frypan questioned.</p><p>"They're the people who ran the maze, looking for a way out." Aris clarified.</p><p>Turning around to face the group as he slowly trudged backwards, Minho let out an amused hum. "So, it's the same then."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"We had a similar system back in the Glade," Newt explained, glancing down at Eden. "First-in-Command, Second-in-Command, and assigned jobs for everyone."</p><p>"Really?" Eden asked. "What were you guys?"</p><p>"Thomas and I were Runners, or erm... 'Seekers' in your words," Minho said, making air quote gestures as he adapted himself to the Glenner's terminology. "But I wasn't just any ol' run-of-the-mill Runner like Greenie over there. I was the Keeper of the Runners." He proclaimed with a confident grin. </p><p>"Keeper...?"</p><p>"It's like the sub-leaders for the jobs we had," Newt informed.</p><p>"So what you were like, for the Medics," Quickly catching on, Aris elaborated.</p><p>"I was the Keeper of the Cooks," Frypan announced, puffing out his chest with great pride.</p><p>"You should try his stew, it's pretty good," Newt joked, gently nudging Eden in the arm who giggled in response. "And Winston," His voice trailed off as he turned around, eyes landing on the paling olive-skinned boy. The latter was practically dragging himself along the dirt and sand. "He was the Keeper of the Slicers." He muttered. </p><p>Casting Winston a worried glance, Eden then turned to the blond. "And what were you?" She asked. "Were you a Gardener?"</p><p>Newt blinked, a little taken off-guard by her question. "No," He slowly shook his head. "No, I was actually Second-in-Command. But I did help out in the fields from time-to-time." He smiled. "How'd you guess?"</p><p>"Oh, that's because-" Eden opened her mouth, about to explain that it was simply an observation she made as she was staring at his hand only to freeze up in embarrassment. "L-Lucky guess, I suppose." She babbled, quickly turning away from his curious gaze as she pressed her palms against her cheeks, feeling the heat slowly creep up once more. </p><p>Once again, Newt noticed that her actions were a little stiffened, but let it slide for the time being. "Well, we know you worked as the Keeper of the Medics, but what about Aris?" He looked over at the smaller boy. "What'd you work as?"</p><p>"I didn't really have a job..." Aris laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "I got to the Glen two days before we actually escaped. But I helped around the Mess Hall on my second night." He recalled nostalgically.</p><p>"So, like Teresa then," Frypan noted. </p><p>"Shuck, man." Minho cussed, glancing at the two newbies. "Our mazes had a lot of similarities."</p><p>"It's kind of amazing..." Teresa murmured, eyes flickering to a thoughtful downcast.</p><p>"Um, I've been meaning to ask," Eden squeaked, still a little afraid of making direct eye-contact with Minho as her gaze darted between him and the sandy ground. "What are those words you keep using? Words like shuck, shank and um... Greenie? Was it?" She tilted her head to the side. "What are those?"</p><p>"Oh yeah, it's Glader Slang." Minho snickered. "We made them up during our time in the Glade."</p><p>Aris's brows furrowed. "We didn't have anything like that-"</p><p>"No, we did," Eden interrupted, causing him to snap his head around with disbelief. "Didn't you notice? The girls would use words like 'stick' or 'finch' or 'crackhead.'"</p><p>Aris shook his head, a little awestruck by that sudden piece of information. It was only fair though. He had only spent a little more than two days in the Glen, and most of that time was spent around Rachel - who wasn't that well-versed in their language either. </p><p>"You never use them," He pointed out.</p><p>Tapping her chin, Eden hummed. "I guess I was never really one for slang terms."</p><p>Heaving a sigh, Minho's shoulders slumped. "Such a goody-two-shoe," He commented, throwing an arm over Eden's shoulder, who immediately tensed up with fear over what he was going to do to her. "Well, I guess that's that then. Let Professor Minho teach you some of our special Glader Slang." He offered with a wide grin. </p><p>"I don't think she wants your bloody lessons, Minho," Newt stated, swatting his arm off with an exasperated expression.</p><p>"Why wouldn't-"</p><p>"Guys, shh!" Before Minho could get out a full retort, Thomas, who had been silently tailing the group pressed a finger against his lips, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "Do you hear that?" He asked, looking as if he were trying to listen for something. </p><p>Following his instructions, the group went along, attempting to differentiate between the howling desert wind and whatever Thomas was hearing. Slowly but surely, the sound of an intense whirling made itself apparent.</p><p>Thomas's eyes widened. "Get down!" He ordered, quickly locating a pile of rubble as he dove under and began ushering everyone in. "Everybody hide!"</p><p>Soon, the view of a Berg accompanied by two helicopters flew over where the group once stood, bearing the familiar WICKED label on their bodies as if announcing for the world to see. In contrast to the ruined cityscape, the three high-tech aerial vehicles looked absolutely majestic from below.</p><p>"WICKED..." Teresa spoke once they were just far enough that the whirling wouldn't disrupt her speech anymore.</p><p>"They're never gonna stop looking for us, are they?" Minho grumbled.</p><p>Swallowing hard, Thomas nodded. "That's why we've gotta keep moving." He said before stepping out from under the rubble. "Come on, let's go."</p><p>As everyone slowly made their way out of the temporary shelter, Eden noticed that Winston was lingering behind, his face contorted in agony.</p><p>"Winston?" She called out to him, resting a hand behind his back as she gingerly helped him up. "Winston, are you okay? Can you walk?"</p><p>"Yeah... I'm fine." He grunted, attempting to steady his footing. "Thomas is right, we gotta keep moving."</p><p>Eden pressed her lips together, studying Winston's appearance, which only seemed to be deteriorating with each passing second. "If you can't walk anymore, just let me know, alright?" She asked, hoping that he would abide by that promise when he nodded.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. [Chapter 5] ✙ A Heart Full of Tombs</h2></a>
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  <span class="u">[Chapter 5] ✙ <strong>A Heart Full of Tombs</strong></span>
</p><p> </p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>Once again, that same bandaged hand popped into her peripheral vision.</p><p>"Yeah, thanks," Eden murmured, taking Newt's offer as he helped her up the slippery slope.</p><p>After navigating their way out of the city and towards the outskirts of town, the group was now, once again, trying to scale a massive sand dune. From climbing up the escalators in the mall to crawling up heaps of sand. So far, the Scorch felt like nothing but constant uphill battles, both physically and metaphorically. </p><p>Once they arrived at the top of the hill, Thomas stopped.</p><p>"Those mountains, that's gotta be it," He said, shielding his eyes with one hand as the other pointed towards the rough outlines in the distance. "That's where we're going."</p><p>Newt peered down, studying the vast stretches of desert that separated them from their destination. "That's a long way off." He noted.</p><p>"Then we better get moving," Minho swallowed, readjusting his pack on his shoulder. </p><p>Just as everyone began taking their first steps forward, Winston suddenly collapsed, crashing face-first into the desert sand as he began to slide downhill.</p><p>"Winston!" Eden was the first to react, grabbing onto his body so he wouldn't tumble any further as she cupped her hand under his head. "Winston? Can you hear me?" She cried as the others crowded around him.</p><p>Receiving no verbal response, Eden rushed to flip the injured boy onto his back. A loud wheeze croaked out of his throat as he began to pant in shallow breaths. His chest rising and falling rapidly as if he were desperately trying to grasp for oxygen. She brought her index and middle to his wrist, checking his pulse. </p><p>She should've known he wasn't going to say anything.</p><p>"Thomas, he can't walk anymore," Eden informed, glancing up at their Leader anxiously. </p><p>Hearing her verdict, Teresa looked towards Thomas as well. "What should we do?" She asked. </p><p>"We've gotta carry him," Thomas almost immediately replied, scanning the vicinity before spotting a nearby pile of rubble. "Aris, Minho and I will go look for some scraps and supplies. Newt, Frypan, you two stay behind. Try to make some kind of stretcher for him out of the materials we find." He instructed, receiving nods from the boys before turning to the two girls. "Teresa, Eden, you two stay back and keep an eye on Winston."</p><p>Eden nodded, immediately dropping her backpack and pulling out some water for the olive-skinned boy to drink. She couldn't help but notice the black, vine-like veins that extended beneath the skin on his forehead as she brought the bottle closer to his mouth. She then moved to check on his wound, finding that it was still bleeding. There were little spots of red that had managed to soak through the gauze roll, but not enough to justify a new dressing just yet. </p><p>"How's he looking?" Newt asked, sitting alongside Frypan as he waited for Thomas and the others to bring back supplies. "Any better?"</p><p>Eden shook her head. Rather than getting better, he was beginning to look just like the girls after they'd been stung by the Shade. She nibbled on her bottom lip, finding the uncanny resemblance extremely unsettling. </p><p>Just as she began to get lost in her own thoughts, Winston let out a small groan, pulling her back to reality. "Winston?" She called out, gently shaking his shoulders. "Winston, can you hear me?"</p><p>His eyelids flickered in response. </p><p>"Can you tell me where does it hurt?" Eden continued, carefully readjusting her grip on his neck. "Is it your stomach?"</p><p>Winston's head shook from side to side. </p><p>"Is it your head?" </p><p>He nodded. </p><p>"Give me a second," After thinking for a moment, Eden gently laid his head down on the sand as Teresa rolled and placed her jacket to act a temporary pillow. Pulling out her medical kit, she fished out the bottle labelled 'Asprin' and grabbed one pill. </p><p>"Okay," She brought the bottle of water closer as well. "I'm gonna need you to take this, Winston," She instructed in a soft voice. </p><p>"What is that?" Frypan asked, watching as the boy ingest the pill alongside some water.</p><p>"They're supposed to be painkillers," Eden explained, putting away the bottle nervously. "But I have no idea when they'll begin to take effect..." Her brows furrowed, watching as Winston tossed his head from left to right as if he were trying to fall asleep. Was there no way she could help? </p><p>Then her eyes widened as if she had remembered something. </p><p>"Frypan, could you help me sit him up, please?" She requested thoughtfully.</p><p>"Okay," Nodding along, Frypan rested his hand under the sick boy's head and brought him up to a seated position. </p><p>"What are you going to do?" Teresa asked, shifting out of the way a little as Eden moved to sit directly behind Winston. She watched with a strange sense of curiosity as the raven-haired girl reached forth, positioning her thumbs against the base of his head and began rolling slow circles. </p><p>"Give him a massage," Eden replied quietly, pressing a little harder when she heard Winston's breath quicken. "It's the only way I can get him to relax before the pill takes effect."</p><p>Newt watched in amazement as the previously tense and shivering Winston drew out a long and peaceful breath under her touch. Finally, provided with the momentary sense of relief, the boy managed to slip through his conscious state, falling into a deep slumber. </p><p>
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</p><p>After gathering some basic materials, Newt and Frypan managed to assemble a relatively sturdy stretcher to carry the injured boy on. The boys took turns, dragging Winston up the sand dunes. At the same time, Teresa and Eden carried the bags of whoever was doing so at the moment, hoping to lighten up their load even just a little.</p><p>Hours of walking and one massive sandstorm later, the group found a pile of pillars that were collapsed on top of each other, creating a spot of shadow perfect for a break. As Minho and Frypan laid the stretcher down on an upward incline, Eden rushed in to check up on the boy.</p><p>Despite taking the aspirin several hours ago, his contorted expression didn't seem to be softening in the slightest. Even in his sleep, his breathing was shallow and pained, large beads of sweat gathered around his forehead, and a darkened ring has since surfaced around his eyes.</p><p>"He has it, doesn't he?" Teresa whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. </p><p>Eden turned her head, briefly making eye contact with those icy blue eyes before slowly nodding. The facts were undeniable at this point.</p><p>Heaving a sigh, Teresa's gaze flickered downward. After a moment of thought, she rose to her feet and walked out of the shelter, approaching Thomas who stood atop a nearby sand dune not too far away, overlooking the rest of their journey. </p><p>"How's it looking?" Newt called out as he leaned up against one of the pillars.</p><p>Thomas was quiet for a moment. "It's a little further," He replied.</p><p>Putting a hand to his hip, Newt turned back to the group with an unreadable expression. "Well, that's not very convincing," He said, voice laced with a hint of sarcasm.</p><p>Eden chuckled at his remark before turning back to Winston. Reaching over, she tenderly brushed away a few strands of hair that stuck to his face before getting to work, unwrapping the bandages around his torso. </p><p>The moment the last of the dressings slipped off his skin, Eden felt her heart drop as she finally saw what the wound had developed into. </p><p>His body was rotting away, like a decaying corpse. The skin surrounding his gashes was turning an ominous shade of black, darkened veins bulging from his abdomen as the wound continued to ooze blood.</p><p>She turned away, carefully lowering his shirt over the horrific sight.</p><p>"What's the verdict, doc? He gettin' any better?" Minho asked as he glanced over at Frypan, laughing a little as the boy poured a waterfall of sand out of his shoe. </p><p>"I'm letting his wounds breathe a little," Eden said after a moment of hesitation. "I'll wrap him up before we leave."</p><p>Newt raised an eyebrow, noticing that she had deliberately dodged Minho's question as he took a swig of his water. After letting out a satisfied sigh, he then offered the bottle towards the girl.</p><p>"Huh?" Eden blinked.</p><p>"You used most of your water on Winston," He pointed out, nudging his chin towards the sleeping boy. "Drink up."</p><p>"Thank you very much," Pursing her lips, Eden accepted the metal bottle with both hands.</p><p>Watching as she gulped down the water, Newt smiled. "Take better care of yourself, yeah? Can't have you collapsing on us too."</p><p>Eden felt her heart skip a beat when she saw his gentle expression watching her. Keeping her gaze glued to his water bottle in her hands, she nodded bashfully. "I-I'll be careful," She murmured. </p><p>Minho blinked, his gaze darting between his blond friend and the raven-haired girl. Noting to himself that he had discovered something rather amusing, his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.</p><p>"So," Throwing his arm over Eden's shoulder, Minho let out an exaggerated sigh. "Now that we have more time, should we continue our Glader Slang lessons with Professor Minho?"</p><p>Newt rolled his eyes. "No one asked, Minho. Much less from a klunk-for-brains like you."</p><p>Frypan couldn't help but nod along. "Yeah. If a shuck face like you became a professor, then the world's really in trouble." He noted. </p><p>"Hey," Mildly offended by his friends' collective jabs, Minho frowned. "I'll have you know. I'd be the best shuck-faced, klunk-for-brains professor this world has ever seen."</p><p>"Not much competition if you're the only one," Aris commented dryly from the sidelines, causing both Newt and Frypan to immediately burst into a raging fit of laughter.</p><p>Minho whipped his head around. "What's that, Aris?" He questioned in a challenging tone as he slowly rose to his feet, stalking over to the boy whose face quickly paled. "You want a piece of me?"</p><p>"N-No, I'm good, really!" Frantically climbing over a piece of debris to distance himself from the towering Asian boy, Aris stuttered.</p><p>"Get over here!" With that loud cry, Minho charged after the boy, easily grabbing ahold of him and throwing him over his shoulder.</p><p>Listening as Aris yelled for help while Minho cackled maniacally, Eden felt an urge stem from the back of her throat. It started out as a soft giggle, covering her mouth with her hands as she grinned into her fingers. But soon, the attempts at suppressing her joy became futile as she threw her head back in a sudden burst of silvery laughter. It was one that rumbled her body, urging her to clutch onto her stomach as it took her breath away.</p><p>Newt and Frypan froze, turning towards the girl who laughed as if that simple exchange of banter was the funniest thing she's ever seen. All the lingering fear and anxiety that plagued her heart ever since she began this perilous journey with a group of strangers seemed to have instantly melted away, like a pile of snow on a hot summer day.</p><p>"You know, you should really laugh like that more often," Frypan said, causing her to look over with a curious expression as she wiped away the tears that had managed to form at the corner of her eyes. </p><p>"It's a lot better than constantly apologizing," Newt nodded in agreement. "Besides, you've got a lovely smile." He added, eyes crinkling softly. </p><p>Eden's lips parted slightly at the warmth of their compliments. She peered down for a moment, feeling a slight squeezing sensation in her heart as she stared down into the darkness of the metal water bottle. Then, feeling a tugging sensation at the corner of her lips, she glanced back up.</p><p>"Thank you," She beamed, her cheeks tinted pink in the desert sun. </p><p>It was then, a small groan sounded behind Eden, immediately drawing her attention to the injured boy who was beginning to stir from his sleep.</p><p>"Winston?" She scrambled over, resting her fingers against his wrist as she took note of his erratic pulse.</p><p>Figuring that it'd be best not to bother her while she was working, Newt and Frypan stood up to find Minho, hoping that he'd at least show Aris a shred mercy from his 'hanging over the shoulder' punishment.</p><p>"Winston, can you hear me?" Eden asked, brows drawing close when his body began to shiver in her arms. "Hold on, I'll get you some water, okay?"</p><p>Turning her back towards Winston for a moment, Eden scooted over to her bag and took out the half-empty water bottle. After unscrewing the lid, she poured an adequate amount into the cap for sanitary purposes. She was about to bring it over to the sick boy when, in her peripheral vision, she noticed that Winston has since stood up and pulled out the gun from his pack, pressing the muzzle against his head.</p><p>"Winston!" Dropping the water-filled cap to the ground, Eden let out a shrilled cry as she lunged forth, slapping the gun out of his hand just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet dug into the nearby sand as a loud bang shattered the desert's silence, immediately alerting everyone else as they came running back to see what happened. </p><p>Scrambling to grab hold of the gun between accelerated breaths, Eden clutched it against her chest, watching as Winston collapsed to his knees.</p><p>"Winston, what are you doing, man?!" Frypan shouted.</p><p>"What's going on? What happened?" Thomas asked, sprinting into the temporary shelter with a panicked expression.</p><p>"Winston... He..." Eden sat on the ground, her adrenaline still pumping from what she had just witnessed. "He just tried to..."</p><p>"Give it back... please..." Reaching a trembling arm out towards the girl, Winston begged. "I need to-" He gurgled mid-sentence, throwing up a mixture of black and red liquids, presumably blood and other bodily fluids. He gagged, rolling onto his back as he stared up at his friends with bloodshot eyes.</p><p>"Winston...?" Thomas whispered, though his words came out more as a desperate plead than anything.</p><p>"Please..." The olive-skinned boy wheezed, slowly lifting up his shirt to show the others of his deforming abdomen. "It's growing... inside of me..." </p><p>Frypan winced as he turned his head away, unable to watch his friend in such a state anymore. Aris, Minho and Teresa continued to stare in disbelief, their eyes round with horror. Thomas's jaw clenched while Newt stood frozen, his expression indecipherable. </p><p>Sensing the reluctance and terror on their faces, Winston choked. "Please... Don't let me turn into one of those things..." He whispered, shifting his attention to the raven-haired girl and the weapon in her arms. "Please..."</p><p>Eden felt something clench in her heart once she met the boy's anguished gaze.</p><p>
  <em>Please, Edie... Let me rest...</em>
</p><p>Her grip around the gun began to slacken as, at that moment, she knew what she needed to do. </p><p>She needed to give him the gun.</p><p>But that wasn't her decision to make. She had only known Winston for a little less than a day. Even if she was a medic, she didn't have any say over how the Gladers handled such a burdensome plea from one of their own. She swallowed, trying to figure out how to navigate through the difficult situation when a gentle hand over hers relieved her of that duty. </p><p>She snapped her head up, locking eyes with Newt, who has since crouched down beside her, his gaze flickering up to meet hers from the gun. She searched through his brown eyes, which strangely reminded her of a nostalgic warmth she once felt so long ago. It didn't take long before she realized that Newt had arrived at the same conclusion. Pursing her lips, she gave a small yet firm nod before willingly uncurling her fingers from the gun, giving him room to take it. </p><p>Newt's eyes widened, taken off guard by the sudden resolute glint that found its way to the timid girl's unmoving gaze. Setting the momentary shock aside, he slowly nodded back before receiving the gun from her. Standing to his feet, he limped over towards Winston. </p><p>"Wait, Newt..." Thomas attempted to protest only for Teresa to hold him back.</p><p>Newt knelt beside Winston. Gingerly taking his hand in his own, he helped him secure his grip around the gun before setting it down against his chest. </p><p>"Thank you," Winston breathed, his voice now barely a whisper. "Now, get outta here."</p><p>Choking back a pained expression, Newt nodded. "Goodbye, Winston." Then he stood up, gathered up his stuff, and left. </p><p>Aris was the next to leave. Casting Winston one last glance, he picked up his bag and followed Newt up the next sand dune. </p><p>Shifting closer to him, Eden's brows furrowed as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you," She whispered.</p><p>Winston shook his head. "It's okay."</p><p>"Sweet Dreams, Winston," Eden murmured before rising to her feet. After collecting her things and securing her backpack over her shoulder, she kept up the pace, staying a few feet behind Aris. </p><p>One by one, the group continued on their treacherous journey through the Scorch, walking in a spaced-out, single-file line.</p><p>Then, after a few minutes of silence, the sound of a single gunshot tore through the barren landscape.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>The rest of the march was quiet, continuing until nightfall when the group finally stopped under another adequately-sized, pile-of-rubble for the night. Aris stepped into the shelter, tossing another few logs of firewood into the crackling flames before taking a seat beside Eden. The latter skimming through the first few pages of the stolen WICKED binder.</p><p>"I thought we were supposed to be immune," Minho questioned, breaking the long-held silence that lingered after they left Winston to his own fate.</p><p>"Not all of us, I guess," Teresa said as she laid on her side, snacking on the little pack of dried crackers Frypan distributed among the group.</p><p>"If Winston can get infected, we should assume so can the rest of us," Newt noted, glancing over at Eden for her opinion on the matter. </p><p>We should all operate under the assumption that we are infected," Keeping her gaze glued to the words on the page, the raven-haired girl nodded. "Don't get scratched, don't get bitten. If you have an open injury anywhere, let me know immediately." She pressed her lips together. "We can't afford to take any chances."</p><p>"I never thought I'd say it..." Frypan began with glossy eyes as a tear made its way down his cheek. "I miss the Glade."</p><p>The silence that ensued seemingly signalled a single, unanimous agreement among the others.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>As the fire slowly died down at the centre of the shelter, most of the group have finally managed to drift off to sleep. It was understandable. After the large amount of walking they've done during the day, combined with the mental strain and bare amount of sleep they got the night before, it wasn't difficult to imagine they'd be sleeping like babies despite the poor circumstances.</p><p>But among them, Eden alone had remained awake. Using the last of the flickering flames, she finally managed to finish reading the four-paged overview on the Flare virus. She let out a strained sigh and closed the cover as a throbbing headache ran from her neck to the top of her skull. Setting the binder down, she gingerly crept over the others, making her way out of the small shelter and unknowingly waking someone in the process.</p><p>She sat down in the sand, a few feet away from their makeshift shelter.</p><p>It was a starless night.</p><p>Of course, it was. Stars would be far too beautiful against such a barbaric and ruined wasteland. Instead, the blackened sky stretched out like a thick blanket, extending for miles and miles with no end in sight. The darkness felt so close, suffocating almost, so much so she felt as if she could just reach out and grab it.</p><p>"What are you doing out here by yourself?" An accented voice sounded behind her, causing Eden to snap her head around in alarm.</p><p>"S-Sorry, did I wake you?" She muttered, watching as he hobbled over and took a seat beside her.</p><p>"It's fine," Newt assured as he looked over, noticing the complicated expression that contorted her face to a frown. "Something on your mind?" He asked.</p><p>Eden pulled her knees to her chest. "It's just terrifying," She said after a little while. "Reading what the Flare can do to a person's brain."</p><p>"I can imagine," Newt hummed, turning to look out towards the vast desert.</p><p>"It starts off with paranoia, headaches, irrational mood swings and temporary memory loss," Eden muttered, reciting the words she repeatedly read from the overview section of the binder. "But it'll eventually eat away at the brain, turning its victims into bloodthirsty and cannibalistic humans. And what's worse, if the person's brain is constantly active and under stress, it'll just quicken the infection rate." She buried her face in her knees. "How could they not be stressed?" She bit her bottom lip. "How could they not be stressed when they know becoming a Crank is the only option at that point?"</p><p>New didn't respond. She didn't sound like she wanted one anyways. It was easy to tell when she wore her heart on her sleeve like that. Instead, he craned his neck to gaze up at the lone moon hanging in the velvet sky, shining down rays of pity upon the scorched earth.</p><p>"Newt?" Eden whispered, her voice barely audible.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Can I ask you something?"</p><p>Newt glanced at her. "Go for it."</p><p>"Why did you give Winston the gun?" Eden asked, lifting her head a little.</p><p>Newt stilled, a little taken off guard by her abrupt question as his mind struggled to conjure up a coherent response.</p><p>"I just put myself in his shoes," He stated after a moment of thought. "If I were infected with this virus, I wouldn't wanna lose myself to it either. I think... I'd choose to do the same thing... So I don't become one of them, and wound up hurting Tommy or the others." He explained, his words sending shivers down Eden's spine as a heavy silence drew out between them.</p><p>"But I could say the same about you," He added after a little while.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"You looked like you were ready to give him the gun if I didn't," He pointed out, recalling that stoic glint in the girl's irises as she passed him the weapon. "I reckoned you'd be crying your buggin' eyes out by now, and yet here you are," He glanced over at her. "So? What's your reason?"</p><p>"I guess..." Eden pressed her lips together. "I guess you could say, it's because... I've seen that look before."</p><p>Newt stayed quiet as if urging for her to continue.</p><p>"How did you guys handle people being stung?" She suddenly asked out of the blue.</p><p>"Being stung?" He raised an eyebrow, a little confused by the sudden topic change, but he went along with it. "We'd banish them into the maze," He replied, his words faltering a little at the memories.</p><p>"That's fair," Eden hummed quietly as her gaze trailed down to her knees. "We handled things a little differently back at the Glen," She told him. "After a girl gets herself stung, they'd put her in the Medical Ward with me. And..." She paused for a moment. "Do you remember the deathberries I told you about? The ones I used to numb Rachel's leg?"</p><p>He nodded intently.</p><p>"My job as the Leader of the Medics didn't only involve helping people when they got hurt or sick. I was also in charge of putting the girls down whenever they're stung," She explained, seeing Newt's eyes widen in her peripheral vision. "So whenever that'd happen, I'd make a serum out of two deathberries and..." She swallowed hard. "Put them out of their misery."</p><p>Newt held still as he studied the profile of her face, his only light source being the pale moonlight from the sky. After an agonizing silence, he let out a tense breath. "Bloody hell, Eden..." He murmured, running a hand through his hair. "How'd you deal with it?"</p><p>Hearing his question, Eden felt her body flinch in response as she turned to look at him with a look that could only be described as astonishment. She stared at the boy beside her incredulously, feeling a burning sensation lodged itself into the back of her throat, along with a wave of moisture that began welling behind her eyelids. A solemn tear rolled down her cheek, glistening in the moonlight.</p><p>"Eden...?" Newt blinked, momentarily panicking as he didn't know what to do at the sight of a crying girl.</p><p>Her lips parted, uttering her secret that only one other person knew.</p><p>"I bury them in my heart."</p><p>Newt froze, raising an eyebrow as if asking for her to elaborate.</p><p>"It's a phrase that was on the first page of the medical book," She explained, quickly wiping away the remnants of tears that have managed to gather in the corner of her eyes. "It means that the patient has passed away due to unforeseen circumstances. The doctor will move on from their death, but..." She pressed a shaky palm against her chest. "They will never forget about them, and will do everything in their power to make sure it doesn't happen again."</p><p>The desert wind howled in the night, brushing up a gust of sand that whisked around the two. Newt watched as Eden's gaze flickered. But instead of letting the tears fall, her eyes crinkled.</p><p>It was a pathetic smile, especially compared to her hearty fit of laughter earlier that afternoon. He wanted to say something, but the words couldn't find him at the moment. So instead, he reached a hand out to rest against the back of her head, reeling her close so she could rest her forehead against his shoulder.</p><p>"You did a good job," He muttered, trying not to sound too awkward as he softly patted down her knotted hair.</p><p>Eden didn't move. For a split second, Newt began to wonder if his actions were a little unnecessary. But soon, a small whimper sounded from the girl's throat as her body began to tremble. She reached her free hand up, gently clenching onto the fabric of his jacket as she shifted her body to bury her face in his chest. The blond quickly reacted by wrapping his arms around her, gently resting his chin on her head.</p><p>As Eden wept, her fingers began to curl. One was attached to Newt's jacket, latching onto him for support while her body shook with sorrow. The other remained clasped at her chest, clawing at her heart, where two new graves - Jack and Winston - lied in her heart full of tombs.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. [Chapter 6] ✙ Marie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">[Chapter 6] </span>
  <span class="u">✙</span>
  
  <b>
    <span class="u">Marie</span>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Ah, there you are.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Welcome back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Today, I wanted to go off on a tangent and tell a little side-story, if you don't mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, you want to know why Eden was crying last time, don't you? I promise this little pit-stop can provide an answer to that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, don't worry about it. Conversations go off the rails all the time, especially when it comes to storytelling. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Haven't you ever had that conversation where you start at one point but keep veering off-track as new and more interesting topics come up? You always end up wondering how you got from your original topic to where you end up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don't worry; I won't do that. I promise.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And you trust your lovely narrator, don't you?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So just for today, let me tell you a story of my choice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's one of my favourites, after all."</em>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Inhaling a sharp and sudden breath, her eyes snapped open as the world immediately began to spiral out of control.</p><p>Flashing colours scrolled across her vision, terrifying the young girl as she nestled herself into the nearest corner of the ascending metal box, pulling her knees to her chest.</p><p>In the sinking darkness of her mind, she could barely make out the faces of the three most important people in her life. Her elder brothers.</p><p>But just as she reached out to grasp for them, an endless sinkhole opened at the base of her skull, rapidly draining away every last one of her memories that made her... her.</p><p>She buried her head in her hands, letting out a shrilling scream as she begged for it to stop. The elevator, the loud rattling, and the oblivion pipe that continued to dump the rest of her fragile memories into a dark abyss where they would never be seen again.</p><p>Soon, she began to forget the forgetting as a hollow feeling overtook her. She knew that something precious had been stolen from her, that it had forcefully ripped away, but she didn't remember what. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember anything anymore. Her name, her identity, and her life led up to the very moment where she sat motionlessly in an upward moving shaft. All of that was nothing but a jumbled blur.</p><p>The world suddenly lurched to a halt as the lights surrounding her shone a dangerous red before flickering to green. Then with an ear-screeching noise, the sky began to open, and she was instantly blinded by a rain of light.</p><p>As the white spots slowly faded from her vision, she saw the outline of two gates opening from above as figures came into view. A total of six girls stared down at her, their faces etched with pity, sympathy and even a bit of exasperation. Just when she was starting to get used to the situation, someone decided to jump in alongside her, causing an involuntary shriek to escape her throat.</p><p>She squeezed her eyes shut, curling her body up even further into the corner if that were even possible. She felt the person stride towards her, figure towering over like a predator to its prey. There was some light shuffling; then all went quiet.</p><p>With her hands over her head, she waited for what seemed like an eternity, wondering when the person before her was going speak or if they just going straight for the kill. After a long silence, curiosity finally got the better of her as she gingerly peeked her eyes open. Lifting her gaze, she immediately came face to face with another girl crouching before her with her chin on her hands. A girl with long, dirty blonde hair that reached just past her armpits, and a pair of twinkling blue-green eyes.</p><p>"Well, hello there," She said, a playful smile tugging at her thin lips.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>It took a full day, but she was finally able to recall her own name.</p><p>Eden.</p><p>Even if it was the one and the only name she could remember, it still didn't feel right. It was like someone had pried into the fragile workings of her mind, forcefully carving that word into every turning gear in her head. She hated it, but there wasn't anything she could do.</p><p>She also managed to learn where she was sent to.</p><p>The Glen. A large circular area at the centre of a sprawling maze, several football fields in length. It was where six girls, now including her, lived.</p><p>The entire vicinity of the Glen was encased by massive walls, with openings called 'the Gate' every several hundred feet. The Gates would open every morning and close every night, separating the girls from a winding maze in which horrifying creatures called 'the Shade' resided. All of the girls were assigned a job, something to do in order to keep the Glen running as smoothly as possible. And with every passing month, a new girl would be sent up through 'the Cube,' the same elevator shaft Eden woke up in, to join the rest.</p><p>After demonstrating her knowledge of basic medicine and first aid, Eden quickly found herself appointed as the first and the Leader of the Medics. Five months later, after lots of manual labour and collective hard work, the Medical Ward was established towards the North West of the Glen.</p><p>"Edie~!" With a sing-song voice, a familiar figure charged past the dusty canopy of the Ward's entrance, throwing their arms around the raven-haired girl who sat at a small desk in the corner.</p><p>Eden let out a yelp, jolting slightly at the sudden added weight on her shoulders. "M-Marie!" She gasped, peeking over at the girl with dirty-blonde hair.</p><p>Marie, the same girl who first greeted her upon her arrival within the Glen. The Second-in-Command as well as the Leader of the Seekers - the only girls who were allowed to leave the Glen and enter the Maze, seeing as they're tasked with the job of seeking a way out.</p><p>"What'cha reading?" Marie chimed, peering down at the book that laid open on the table made of wooden planks and barely held together by straw ropes. "Let's see... Chest-Compression-Only CPR- oh..." Her face quickly fell into boredom as she straightened her posture.</p><p>"What're you doing here, Marie?" Eden chuckled, shifting a little in her chair so she could turn to face the blonde. "Did you just get back from the Maze?"</p><p>"Yep, and I'm exhausted," Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Marie took a step back as she collapsed onto the softer surface of the wooden medical beds. "I wonder what the Cooks are making for dinner tonight, I could really go for some of Kate's sandwiches right about now."</p><p>"I heard they're making carrot stew," Eden said.</p><p>"Again?!" Marie's eyes widened as she groaned. "I already have a big enough headache as is; I swear if I eat another one of those things, it's gonna explode." She complained, resting her forearm over her face.</p><p>Eden couldn't help but laugh a little at her friend's childish attitude. "There's nothing we can do about it," She said, pacing over to take a seat next to her on the medical bed. "It's what the latest harvest is. Kate says if we don't finish it soon, it'll all go bad by next week."</p><p>"Those Gardener crackheads," Marie cursed under her breath. "Can't they learn to grow literally anything else?"</p><p>Eden smiled wryly. "Carrots are good for your eyes, you know?"</p><p>"Doesn't mean eating them will help us find the exit any faster," Marie retorted in annoyance.</p><p>For a little while, the two girls sat in a comfortable silence as they listened to the soft evening breeze rush through the Glen. Then, Marie spoke again, this time in a much calmer voice. "Edie?" She called out, lifting her arm a little so she could see her friend from the corner of her vision. "Can I get a massage, please?"</p><p>Eden's eyes widened for a split second before crinkling. Giving a small nod, she shifted a little to the side to provide Marie with room to sit up, which she eagerly did. Turning away from her, the blonde tucked her hair over her right shoulder, giving Eden full access to the back of her neck. Quickly pinpointing the pressure point at the base of her skull, the Medic dug her thumbs into position before gently rolling them in a circular motion.</p><p>"Running the Maze is difficult, huh?" Eden hummed, feeling the Seeker's muscles stiffen momentarily before relaxing.</p><p>"Yeah," She nodded, opening her eyes a little as she stared absently into the flickering lamp candle at the foot of the medical table. "Every time we think we have it worked out, the Maze just shifts again." She pressed her lips together. "It's a ridiculous cycle."</p><p>Hearing her honest response, Eden's fingers went cold.</p><p>"Marie?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Do you think... we're ever going to escape this place?" Eden asked solemnly, her movements coming to a staggering halt. "Do you think we'll actually be able to make it out? Or are we... are we all just going to..." She choked, unable to continue that line of thought.</p><p>But those words alone were enough for Marie. Snapping her head around, the blonde grabbed onto Eden's hands, holding them in her own as she stared directly into her glossy brown eyes.</p><p>"You can't think about it like that," She scolded in a mild tone, subconsciously tightening her grip around Eden's hands as her brows drew closer. "Don't doubt whether or not we're gonna make it, know that we are. Because we will, and doubts will only hinder that fact."</p><p>"B-But..." Eden's vision grew blurry, making it difficult to make out Marie's face. "Ximena's been here for a full year already, and we still haven't found anything close to an exit." She pointed out, bottom lips quivering. "And even if we found a way out, I can't run fast enough. I'll probably get stung or eaten by a Shade on our way out. What if it's impossible, Marie? What if-"</p><p>"Ah, ah, ah!" Wagging her finger, Marie quickly shushed her friend before she could go on any further. "I said it's difficult, Edie. Not impossible," She emphasized sternly. "We'll make it out, even you."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"No ifs, ands, or buts," Reaching a hand up, Marie rested her hand atop Eden's head as she stared directly into her eyes for a minute, as if trying to get her message across that way. Then, she reeled the girl in, pressing her forehead against her shoulder. "I promise you will make it to freedom," She assured.</p><p>"I'll see to it."</p><p>Hearing those words, Eden squeezed her eyes shut as she felt tears begin to creep out of them.</p><p>Marie couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle after hearing her sniffle as if she were resisting the tears that threatened to fall. "Don't cry," She cooed, loosely brushing her finger through her tar-black hair as tears began to prickle her own eyes. "Come on, pull yourself together." She whispered, though whether her words were directed towards herself or her weeping friend, was now unclear.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>"Hey, Edie?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Do you ever wonder what it's like to fall in love?"</p><p>Eden's movements came to a rigid halt.</p><p>It was just another ordinary day in the Glen. The golden hours of the day were slipping away, and the Gates would be closing any moment. As punctual as ever, Marie returned from the Maze and headed straight for the Medical Ward, both for a little slacking and to assure her friend that she was fine and dandy. It was as she sat on the wooden medical bed with her neck craned, staring up at the cross-pattern on the ceiling, did such a strange question came to mind.</p><p>"H-H-Huh?!" Eden whipped her head around, nearly dropping the syringe and fresh mixture in her hands as her face turned a deep shade of red. "W-Where is this coming from?"</p><p>Hearing the apparent panic in her friend's voice, Marie snuck a glance at Eden's astonished expression before immediately kicking back into a fit of laughter. "You should see your face right now, Edie!" She gasped. "Your eyes are huge!"</p><p>"I-I'm sorry!" Eden stammered, setting down the items in her hands before she dropped them somewhere. "I just wasn't expecting you to ask something like that all of a sudden." She said, cupping her hands to her hot cheeks.</p><p>"Alright, alright, that's fair," As she slowly calmed her erratic breathing, Mari chuckled. "But still, haven't you ever wondered what it would be like?" She asked, a bright twinkle darting across her blue-green eyes. "If we weren't trapped in here like a bunch of finch-faced lab rats, we'd probably be going to high school and living a normal teenage life like any other girl. Probably going on our first date or having our first kiss or something."</p><p>Eden's gaze flickered to a downcast, feeling her skin slowly cool down beneath her palms. When she first arrived in the Glen, Marie told her she looked around 13 to 14-years-old, meaning that she should currently be approximately 15. "Sometimes," She admitted. "But it's not like there's anything we can do about it. There are no boys in the Glen."</p><p>Marie hummed, leaning forward to rest her elbow on her knee. "That's true. The creators probably wanted us to stay focused on getting out of this place, rather than getting caught up in relationships and stuff." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Then, how about this?" She shifted forward in her seat. "What's your ideal type?"</p><p>"My ideal type...?" Eden repeated hesitantly before pursing her lips. "I don't think I've ever thought about that," She murmured.</p><p>"Seriously? Not even once?" Eyes widening, Marie gawked. "That's a shame. I already have mine all figured out."</p><p>Eden remained silent as if asking Marie to continue.</p><p>"Well, I want someone who's loyal, confident and has a good sense of humour," Marie began describing as she heaved a dreamy sigh. "Someone who can match me in the wits, you know?"</p><p>"That alone is a pretty high standard in itself."</p><p>"Oh, please," Tossing her hair over her shoulder with a flare of dramatics, Marie snickered. "If they can't at the very least keep up with my mind, they're gonna get left way behind in any conversation we have. But of course, I'll also take them if they're rich as hell." She then added, causing the two girls to let out a laugh.</p><p>"It would be even better if they could come and rescue us from this maze right now," Eden said, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers as she held back a giggle.</p><p>"Exactly," Marie nodded eagerly. "Preferably flying in on a giant helicopter or something and whisk us away like a proper Prince Charming."</p><p>"Prince Charming, huh..." Eden's voice grew thoughtful.</p><p>As if reading her friend's mind, a mischievous grin tugged at Marie's lips. "So?" She simpered. "Any ideas?"</p><p>Letting out a soft hum, Eden tapped a finger to her chin. "I think... I would also like a guy who is loyal, but also kind, responsible and level-headed." She said, smiling a little as her face flushed a light pink.</p><p>Marie blinked, feeling a splash of déjà vu upon hearing that description. "So a literal Prince Charming then..." She deadpanned.</p><p>"A-A little," Eden nodded, awkwardly pressing her palms to her cheeks once more.</p><p>Marie huffed. "And here I thought I was a hopeless romantic."</p><p>As Eden opened her mouth, about to respond, a set of hasty footsteps approaching the Medical Ward drew both girls out of their playful conversation. They snapped their heads towards the entrance canopy, spotting a girl with warm brown skin and long dreadlocks rush through.</p><p>"Marie, Eden, there you are!" She exclaimed, her breathing shallow. "I've been looking all over for you sticks!"</p><p>Sensing the urgency in the girl's tone, Marie quickly rose to her feet. "What's wrong, Harriet?" She questioned. "Did something happen?"</p><p>"It's Anna," The Seeker replied solemnly. "She's been stung."</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>Eden stood in the Medical Ward, watching with her hands clasped before her chest as the former Seeker with honey blonde hair and a sweet smile slowly lost herself to the Shade sting. It was the next day, and Anna had since been tied up, bounded to the wooden medical bed, while Ximena called a Summit to decide on their next course of action. This left Eden alone to take care of the sick girl.</p><p>It would occasionally happen, Seekers who weren't careful enough found themselves stung by the Shade as they explored the Maze. Though Eden's never seen one herself, she's heard from Marie that the Shades were whirring, bulbous creatures that stalk around on their sprawling legs, like a spider of some sort. They'd sting whatever Glenners they can get their claws on, causing them to turn irrational, uncontrollably aggressive and eventually bring harm to others as well as themselves.</p><p>Ximena despised the idea of banishing girls back into the Maze, finding it inhumane and cruel, seeing as it generally wasn't their fault they got themselves stung. Instead, she decided that banishment would be a punishment reserved only for those who have broken the most sacred rule of the Glen - never bring harm to another Glenner.</p><p>Despite the good intentions behind Ximena's decision, it has proven to produce some rather brutal results. Namely, Bea, the last girl who was stung, who, in her barbaric state, end her own life by forcefully bashing her skull in.</p><p>"Anna," Eden muttered over the girl's hysterical screaming, hoping that there were somehow still traces of the same sweet and gentle girl she had gotten to know over the months. "Anna, please. If you're in there, give me a sign."</p><p>Ignoring her desperate pleas, Anna continued to lash against her binding. Her natural ivory skin was now a deathly shade of white, covered in hives while darkened veins bulged from her forehead, threatening to pop out at any moment. Loud gurgling noises began to stem from the back of her throat as she raised her head from the soft material of the pillow and began repeatedly ramming it down onto the wooden surface.</p><p>"Anna! Anna, stop!" Eden cried, instinctively reaching out to stop her only to pull back with a shriek when she spotted the mad girl's unhinged jaw approaching her outstretched hand.</p><p>Anna's mouth snapped shut, her teeth chattering aloud at the absence of flesh in her bite before letting out a shrilling cry that made Eden's skin crawl. She stood frozen in her spot, watching helplessly as the blonde went back to her self-destructing tendencies. Blood began to drip down from the wound, pooling onto the medical bed as it soaked into the wood and fabric of the nearby pillow, dyeing both a dark crimson shade.</p><p>A horrific image flashed across Eden's mind.</p><p>Bea lying on the very same table, dead. Her final expression contorted with pain and insanity.</p><p>Eden turned on her heel and rushed to her desk in the corner of the Ward. With trembling fingers, she reached for the syringe and the mixture she was messing with before the chaos. Giving the concoction one last stir, she filled the syringe.</p><p>As she made her way back to Anna's side, Eden bit her bottom lip. She peered one last time into Anna's bloodshot eyes, desperately searching for any last shreds of humanity with no avail. Swallowing hard, she grabbed onto Anna's wrist, forcefully pinning it down against the wooden surface. Then, aiming for the popping veins on her arm, she jabbed the needle in and injected the bright red liquid.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>"We can't keep putting this off, Ximena," Harriet said with her arms folded over her chest. "They always end up either killing themselves or hurting the other girls. You need to make a choice. It's either we banishment them, or we put them down."</p><p>The girls were gathered by the 'Decision Tree,' a large fern located at the centre of the Glen that towered over the entrance to the Cube. It was a place where the council would host Summits, an event in which they meet and discuss some of the more significant decisions regarding life around the Glen.</p><p>"I can't," Pressing a palm to her forehead, Ximena shook her head. "It's not their fault they got stung, I can't-"</p><p>"We understand it's not their fault," Sonya, another one of the Seekers, spoke up. "But-"</p><p>"Then why are we even considering to punish them?" The Leader of the Gardeners, Alejandra, questioned sternly. "We only banish girls when they've hurt another Glenner. And so far, Anna hasn't done anything like that."</p><p>"But that's only because we tied her up, crackhead!" Harriet pointed out. "If we didn't do that, she'd be out here biting and scratching at anyone she can get her finching hands-on."</p><p>"Then we'll just keep her tied up," Beth, the Leader of the Builders, shot back. "It's better than cutting her life short like a bunch of cold-blooded murderers."</p><p>Leaning with her back against the Decision Tree, Marie listened in silence as the discussion panned out between the five girls. Things would always go this way. Whenever a Glenner was stung, Harriet, Beth and Alejandra would get into a heated argument over their conflicting views on what their next course of action should be. Despite her best efforts of remaining neutral on the topic, she always thought it'd be better if they simply mercy-killed the girls, as Harriet suggested. It seemed to be the most humane option, both for themselves and the girl that is stung. But she's always refrained from saying anything herself, especially when their First-in-Command...</p><p>"Stuff it!" Growing irritated by the constant bickering and pressures for her to make a decision, Ximena snapped in a thunderous voice. "Everybody stuff their finching mouths! We will not be banishing them or putting them down!" She said firmly. "We can't afford to lose any of the girls! There has to be another way. There has to-"</p><p>Interrupting the olive-skinned girl mid-speech, an ear-piercing screech echoed from the North West of the Glen, followed by a familiar voice that immediately set the council on high alert.</p><p>"Anna! Anna, stop!"</p><p>"Eden!" Marie gasped. Quickly pushing off against the tree trunk, she exchanged a swift glance with the others before hurrying off in the direction of the Medical Ward.</p><p>As the girls approached the small wooden hut, they noticed that two others, Florence and Mae from the nearby farmlands, had also gathered by the entrance, most likely drawn by the loud screaming.</p><p>"Excuse me," Marie felt her heart drop as she heard the sound of someone choking from within. Pushing the two gardeners aside, she threw the canopies open in a hurry, only for her movements to suddenly stop. Frozen in her spot, she struggled to process the scene before her as the other council members gathered from behind.</p><p>In the flickering candle flames of the dimly lit Medical Ward, Eden stood over Anna's body with a syringe still tightly grasped in her right hand. The infected girl that laid before her squirmed left and right, wheezing out shallow breaths as she struggled to lift her head. Then with one final gasp for air, her body fell limp, collapsing lifelessly onto the wooden surface of the medical bed.</p><p>The room sunk into a chilling silence.</p><p>"Eden...?" Someone called out, causing the raven-haired girl to turn her head in surprise.</p><p>Marie saw her eyes flicker, the tears that accumulated threatening to spill.</p><p>But before she could say anything, a figure whizzed past her and charged into the Medical Ward.</p><p>"What did you do?" With a loud scream, Ximena grabbed ahold of Eden's wrist and twisted it behind her back, drawing a pained cry from her as she dropped the syringe in the rapid movement. "What did you do to her?!"</p><p>Eden winced as Ximena slammed her upper torso over Anna's body, locking her in a firm hold that burned her right arm. She peered up, briefly locking eyes with her Leader's piercing stare before looking away.</p><p>Beth rushed into the room, pressing her shaky index finger against Anna's neck, she sucked in a harsh breath. "She's dead," She proclaimed. "Anna is dead," She repeated, growling at Eden with a spiteful look.</p><p>Tightening her grip on the girl's wrist, Ximena pushed her head down even further. "What have you done?!" She roared furiously, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "What have you done to her, Eden?!"</p><p>Pressing her lips together, Eden squeezed her eyes shut.</p><p>Thoroughly fed up with the Medic's behaviour, Ximena stood her up and shoved her towards Beth. "Tie her up!" She commanded in an authoritative voice, the blazing flames practically spewing out of her dark brown eyes. "Tie her up and take her to the Decision Tree!"</p><p>Marie paced forth to get a better look at Anna as the Builder dragged Eden out of the wooden hut with little to no resistance.</p><p>The former Seeker's eyes were open, but the madness that swirled within seemed to have subsided, replaced dull stare that remained in an eternal downcast. Despite the blood that continued to trickle down her head, Anna seemed much more at peace compared to Bea's final dreadful state. If anything, she looked like she was simply in an injured daze. Like if Eden just came in and bandaged her up, she'd be up and skipping about in no time.</p><p>"Marie, you comin'?" Sonya asked, stilling lingering at the door as she kept her gaze fixated on the backside of her department leader.</p><p>"Yeah," Reaching forth, she gently pulled Anna's eyelids shut before turning on her heel and exiting the Medical Ward.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>Marie watched with a pained expression as Beth and Harriet forced Eden to her knees in front of Ximena and the Decision Tree. She exchanged a look with the Seeker, who grimaced in response. All eyes shot to their First-in-Command that scowled down at the raven-head, jaw clenching.</p><p>"What did you do to her?!" She questioned in a guttural roar.</p><p>Eden jerked back a little. Her wrists burned from the straw ropes Beth had used as binding, though it wasn't like she could feel it. The adrenaline rushing through her veins was enough to null the pain all on its own. She peeked up at Ximena's towering figure, immediately turning away once again when she made eye contact with the girl's deathly glare.</p><p>"Talk!" Beth demanded, gruffly shoving her head downwards.</p><p>"I-I used the deathberries!" Eden whimpered, still unwilling to meet the enraged girl in the eyes. "I-I made it into a serum, and... and..."</p><p>"And what?!"</p><p>"I used it on Anna!" She confessed in a shriek, shoulders instinctively tightening around her body.</p><p>Ximena slowly nodded, a sneering smile twisted on her expression as she huffed out a breath through her flaring nostrils. "Alright then," She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you have to say for yourself?"</p><p>Eden's eyes widened.</p><p>"I..." She hesitated slightly. "I don't have anything to say..."</p><p>The girls fell silent.</p><p>"Are you serious?!" Beth was the first to speak as her voice exploded with disbelief. "You have nothing to say after what you pulled?" She questioned, her eyes turning glossy with the memory. "You killed Anna! You murdered her! Do you understand that?!"</p><p>"Guess being all meek and timid was just a front for this cold-hearted stick," Alejandra scoffed.</p><p>"Really?" Stalking closer, Ximena glowered. "You have nothing to say? Not even an apology?"</p><p>"I-I won't apologize..."</p><p>Ximena's expression tightened. "What?"</p><p>"I'm a Medic, so it's my job to bring relief to people who are in pain," Eden said, her voice barely a whisper as hot tears began coursing down her cheeks. "If they don't even have a chance at survival, why would I make them keep suffering through a slow and painful death? I couldn't standby and watch her keep hurting herself like that. So I... I..." Sucking in a harsh breath, she jerked her head upwards to forcefully meet Ximena's searing gaze. "I don't regret the decision I made! That's why I won't apologize!" She declared, practically screaming her words past her quivering lips.</p><p>Upon hearing her words, Ximena's face grew red with fury. "Toss her in the Pit!" She ordered, the veins practically bulging from her forehead as she turned to leave. "We're banishing her by sundown!"</p><p>Eden's face paled.</p><p>"Ximena! Ximena, wait!" Sonya looked utterly horrified by that decision.</p><p>"Hold on," Harriet called out. "Just calm down and-"</p><p>"Stuff it! I'm not waiting anymore," The olive-skin girl snapped, giving Harriet a sharp look before gesturing Beth and Alejandra. "Lock her up!" She shouted.</p><p>While Beth complied, reaching forth to drag the shell-shocked Eden to her feet, Alejandra now seemed to a little hesitant. Her gaze darted between Ximena and Eden, unsure of what to do.</p><p>Ignoring the various calls for her to stop, Ximena stormed past them. She was about to leave the vicinity when an arm suddenly threw out before her, bringing her steps to a rigid halt.</p><p>"You know we can't banish her, Ximena," A calm voice stated, instantly silencing the rising commotion.</p><p>Glancing up, Eden's eyes rounded with surprise.</p><p>"What are you talking about, Second-in-Command?" Brows drawing closer, Ximena shot a hostile glare towards Marie as she emphasized their difference in position. "If you can't remember, she killed another Glenner," She spat, casting Eden a dirty look.</p><p>"A Glenner who was as good as dead."</p><p>"It doesn't matter if she was on the verge of death, she was still one of us," Ximena instinctively took a step back. "We're all sisters here, Marie. None of this would work if we didn't trust each other," She narrowed her eyes at the dirty blonde. "You of all people should understand that."</p><p>"Then what did you wanna do, huh?" Folding her arms over her chest, the taller girl questioned. "Did you wanna keep her tied up until she bashed her head in like Bea did? Or were you gonna let her loose and let her claw us to death? Eden took it upon herself and made a decision she thought was right. It's a decision you, as our Leader, should've made a long time ago," She said, noting that the olive-skinned girl flinched a little at her statement. "This is the Glen, Ximena. Not your idealistic fantasy that everyone's gonna survive. In this case, we need to put down the girls who are stung to protect ourselves and give them a swift and painless death," She paused, blue-green eyes scanning over the solemn looks on the others' faces. "The only thing we can do is keep trying, and swear on our lives that we'll find that exit," Her fists tightened. "It's the only way to honour those who lost their lives in this goddamn place."</p><p>Ximena pursed her lips, unable to find her voice as her jaw clenched in frustration. Thanks to the given time, she had managed to calm down from her height of anger, now drawing out long, rhythmic breaths as she stared up at Marie's firm expression.</p><p>Taking the silence as a unanimous agreement, Beth spoke up. "Then, what do we do about her?" She asked, pushing Eden to her knees once more. "She still killed Anna without even consulting anyone, you know?"</p><p>Marie glanced over. "Yeah, I know that. Let's see... " Humming, she slowly approached the Medic. "Three nights in the Pit, no food."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"That's not all," Raising a hand to interrupt the Builder's oncoming complaints, Marie crouched down to get on eye-level with Eden, slightly reminiscent of their very first meeting in the Cube. "If you can make a serum out of the deathberries, you can make other serums, right?" She asked.</p><p>Eden nodded, a little confused by where she was going with this.</p><p>"Then, for the rest of your life, you're gonna devote all your time, energy and research into finding a cure for these things," Marie announced loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's the only way that'll convince me that you have the right to put these girls down. Understood?"</p><p>Eden's eyes widened a little, taken off-guard by her friend's words. But she quickly nodded. "R-Right, yes!"</p><p>"Good," Marie's eyes crinkled. Standing up straight, she then looked towards the others. "Any questions?" She asked, particularly peering over at Ximena and Beth before receiving a still silence in response.</p><p>"Perfect."</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>The night was cold in the Glen, especially when spent in the Pit. Being what essentially was the jail of the Glen, it was surrounded by concrete walls with nothing but a barred wooden window as a skylight. Eden sat with her knees curled up to her chest, staring down at the moistened dirt ground when a faint rustling from above caught her attention.</p><p>She glanced up, squinting a little when she saw the warm light of a lantern glow from above. A figure stared down at her for a moment before setting the light aside and taking a seat next to the wooden door.</p><p>Eden stilled.</p><p>"Marie?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>She let out a sigh in relief, glad that her mysterious visitor was indeed the blonde. "What are you doing here?" She wondered. "Are you here... for me?"</p><p>Marie deadpanned. "No, I just love the feeling of the midnight wind in my hair and laying on barred wooden sticks," She replied sarcastically before peering down at Eden. "Of course, I'm here for you, silly."</p><p>"S-Sorry..." The Medic murmured, feeling a little stupid for asking such an obvious question.</p><p>Letting out a light laugh, Marie turned to look out into the darkened Glen. "Don't think too badly about Ximena," She said, thinking over the events that transpired during the day. "She has a hard time coming to terms with stuff like that. She had to spend a full month alone in the Glen before I got here," She glanced back down with a wry smile. "So everyone is kinda important to her, you know?"</p><p>"I understand," The raven-haired girl nodded.</p><p>"And you," Marie continued with an exasperated tone. "You were way too stubborn back there. There's a difference between bravery and stupidity, and you were definitely on the stupid end of the spectrum." She scolded. "If you had just apologized then and there, we wouldn't need to go through all that klank about banishments and whatnot. You nearly gave me a heart attack."</p><p>"Sorry..."</p><p>Staring down at her sheepish demeanour, Marie couldn't help but feel the collective annoyance in her system dissipate. "It's fine," She huffed a sigh, leaning to lay back on the barred wooden door. "I know why you did it." She said simply.</p><p>And so for a little while longer, the two girls sat in silence, listening as the sound of crickets chirping filled the Glen.</p><p>Eden thought of Anna. After injecting her with the deathberry serum, the girl with honey-blonde hair near-instantly began to hyperventilate as the rush of poison overtook her body. She groaned and screamed in pain, but in her last moments, Eden remembered seeing her soft brown eyes clear for a moment, reminding her of the same gentle and honest girl she once was before falling limp.</p><p>Tears welled in her eyes at the memory as a whimper escaped her throat.</p><p>"Edie?" Marie whipped her head around in alert. "Edie, are you crying?"</p><p>"I..." Burying her face in her knees, Eden sniffled. "I miss Anna..."</p><p>Marie blinked as she sat up a little, watching as Eden's body trembled in the darkness of the Pit. She smiled ruefully. "It's a little weird, hearing that from the girl who ended her life," She commented, feeling her nose grow sore.</p><p>"There's no going back, Edie," Turning away from her friend, Marie glanced up at the velvet sky, listening as the raven-haired girl snivelled under her breath, trying not to wake up the other Glenners further inland. "Whenever someone is stung from now on, it'll be your responsibility to put them down." She clenched her fist at the thought. "How will you...?"</p><p>Choking back a sob, Eden pursed her lips. She didn't need to hear the rest of Marie's words to understand what she was asking. "I... I'll bury them in my heart." She said after a while.</p><p>Marie cocked her head to the side. "What does that mean?"</p><p>"It was the first thing written in that medical book," Eden explained, staring down at her kneecaps for a moment as her vision was once more blurred over. "It means that the patient has passed away due to unforeseen circumstances," She recited, squeezed her eyes shut as she pressed a hand to her chest. "The doctor will move on, but continue to remember them, and make sure it never happens again."</p><p>Eye flickering to a downcast, Mari was lost in thought for a moment. "That's a good motto," She finally said, lips tugging into a wistful smile. "With that, you should be fine then."</p><p>Eden nodded, gently wiping the tears that stained her cheeks. "Marie?" She called out wearily.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Can you sing?"</p><p>Marie glanced over her shoulder, studying Eden's tired expression for a moment before shifting in her spot. Nestling herself closer to the barred wooden door that separated them, she began to hum.</p><p>Eden leaned to rest her head against the cold and grainy surface of the concrete walls as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Over the past few months, she's gotten to know Marie, she would often hear the blonde singing that familiar melody, albeit subconsciously or not. It was a tender yet solemn tune, one which Eden thought didn't suit Marie's cheerful and energetic personality in the slightest. But there was something so natural about it coming from her voice, as if it was what she was meant to sing since the beginning of time. Perhaps that song was a transparent look past Marie's playful mask - a song that carried the faint glimmers of hope amongst the bleak despair that often threatened to swallow her whole. A song that told anyone who heard it - it's going to be alright.</p><p>With that, Eden closed her eyes, allowing Marie's voice lulled her into a dreamless sleep.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>And so for the next two years, Eden continued her search for a cure. Using the equipment she'd occasionally request from the Cube, she managed to create many different concoctions involving ingredients she found in the Glen and those Marie collected within the Maze. On the seldom when girls got themselves stung, she would test those mixtures out. And when they wouldn't work, she'd be forced to put them down with the deathberry serum.</p><p>A crimson fluid as dark as blood, once injected, one would only have a minute or two to live before ultimately dying at the hands of its potent poison. Such a lethal drug was nicknamed 'the Abyss' among the Glenners, and the girl who could create it was subsequently alienated as a result.</p><p>It's not that nobody understood her reasoning behind it. But it was the fact that someone could actually make the rational decision to carry out such a heavy act, even under the immense stress of the circumstances, that scared them.</p><p>Becoming a Medic was an undesired job, third to a Seeker or a Caretaker, which was essentially the janitor of the Glen.</p><p>Thankfully, Harriet, Sonya and at times, Alejandra remained comfortable around Eden. Sitting with her during mealtimes, sharing small talk near the bonfire, and even keeping her company in the Medical Ward. And of course, there was always Marie.</p><p>"They just need a scapegoat," The Second-in-Command would say. "Those sticks choose to blame and criticize you because they're avoiding that truth about themselves. Because deep down, they know they agree with your decision."</p><p>As long as Marie was there, Eden knew everything would be alright.</p><p>
  <strong>+ + +</strong>
</p><p>It was another ordinary day in the Glen. The sky was an overcast, nothing but a fluffy woollen blanket of mottled grey that covered the beaming sun. Eden was at her usual station in the Medical Ward, organizing the scattered medical instruments.</p><p>If the creators of this place were on schedule, as they usually were, the next girl was supposed to be coming up in the Cube the next day, along with some fresh new supplies. Eden figured that it'd be best to tidy up the place a little, just in case the newbie came stumbling in without warning like that last one.</p><p>Just as she finished cleaning up the syringes, she heard a heavy set of footsteps dragging against the grounds outside the Ward. She turned her head towards the entrance, surprised to see the dusty canopy slowly lift open to reveal the Glen's Second-in-Command.</p><p>"Marie?" Eden blinked, a little off-put by her friend's change in behaviour.</p><p>"Edie," Marie whispered with a faint smile. Then without another word, her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she collapsed forth.</p><p>"Marie!" Dropping everything in her hands, Eden rushed to her friend's side, barely catching her in time before she hit the floor. "Marie?! Marie, what happened?!" She asked, gingerly guiding her shaking friend to lean against her shoulder as they sat on the ground.</p><p>"I... messed up," Marie chuckled weakly.</p><p>Eden felt her heart drop at that simple statement. "W-What do you mean?" She asked, plastering on a forced smile as tears prickled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>It was a stupid question. Eden had already seen enough of the symptoms to understand what was going on. She had been researching this for three years, after all.</p><p>Marie's skin was drained of colour, bulging purplish veins threatening to pop out of her sweat-coated forehead. Her usual radiant eyes were dull and bloodshot, with a ring of darkness surrounding them that only continued to deepen with each ragged breath she took. Her entire body was cold and twitching, muscles darting in a constant back-and-forth between contraction and relaxation.</p><p>It was then, Eden noticed the bloodstain on the back of Marie's loose blue tee.</p><p>Swallowing down a lump that formed in her throat, she uttered a word of curtesy before reaching forth with a trembling hand to grab hold of the hem, slowly lifting it.</p><p>There it was - a large black scab, surrounded by blue and green veins sprawling outwards.</p><p>But it was still board daylight, how could she have been stung?</p><p>Setting that thought aside for later, Eden sucked in a harsh breath. "H-Hold on," She stuttered, slinging Marie's arm over her shoulder as she helped her to the nearest medical bed. "T-There's still time. I can... I can still make a cure-" Before she can hurry off to her desk, a hand latched onto hers, pulling her attention back to her sick friend.</p><p>Locking eyes with Eden's glossy ones, Marie shook her head feebly. "You've been looking for two years... you're not gonna suddenly find it... in a day..." She wheezed, chest rising and falling rapidly as a throbbing pain lodged itself into her back. "Do it, Edie... Do it!"</p><p>Her entire body felt like it was being ripped apart. Like there was another part of her thrashing within her consciousness, struggling to break free and wrestle for dominance over her actions and words. And the vivid memory of that boy and girl sitting across from each other only served to loosen that bind. It was turning her barbaric and wild, sparking an insatiable desire to destroy anyone and anything within a certain vicinity. It wanted to grab onto Eden by the throat and choke her out till there was no light left in those dark chocolate-coloured eyes.</p><p>But her sane-self would never let that happen.</p><p>Biting down on her bottom lip, she drew blood and pain out of her system in an effort to keep those irrational thoughts in check.</p><p>"B-But... Marie, you... I..." Clasping her free hand before her chest, Eden gasped, the words coming out of her mouth were barely coherent.</p><p>"Please, Edie... Let me rest..." Marie begged as she squeezed her eyes shut, subconsciously digging her nails into Eden's palm in a further attempt to control herself. "Just... Bury me... It hurts... so much!" She sobbed through her growing pain.</p><p>Those words seemed to have sparkled a jolt of electricity through Eden as her face fell. Prying her hand out of the blonde's grasp, she quickly turned on her heel and rushed towards a small woven basket she kept hidden at the back of the wooden hut.</p><p>Marie smiled, watching with a mixture of pride and irony as Eden returned with the filled syringe.</p><p>The Abyss.</p><p>Staring down at Marie, Eden blinked the briny tears out from her blurry vision as she searched through her friend's blue-green eyes. She winced, noting that they were continually fluctuating between herself and the brink of insanity.</p><p>Marie nodded, a moment of peace flashing across her contorted expression.</p><p>Grabbing onto the blonde's rigid arm, Eden forcefully pinned it down against the cold, hard surface of the wooden bed. Then wasting no time, she jabbed the needle into her veins, slowly injecting the crimson liquid into her bloodstream.</p><p>Once she was done, Eden removed the syringe and took a staggering step backwards.</p><p>The pain within Marie's body instantly began to dissipate, replaced with a numbing sensation that stemmed from the arm where Eden injected the liquid. It slowly expanded outwards, seeping into each of her limbs and leaving them cold. Then as it crossed over her torso, her lungs felt a sudden slam in weight and pressure. It was as if someone was squeezing them, wringing every last bit of air out of her system like water to a towel.</p><p>Watching as Marie suddenly opened her mouth, desperately gasping for oxygen like every breath was her last, Eden felt herself unable to hold back the sorrow any longer. Dropping the syringe, she collapsed beside the bed in a dishevelled heap.</p><p>Marie swore she heard her heart shatter at the flood of her best friend's uncontrollable tears. "H-Hey..." She called out, attempting to stop wheezing like air escaping from a deflating balloon. "Why are you... crying...? You did... such a good job..."</p><p>Eden shook her head, trying her best to speak only for a great sob escaped her.</p><p>"Don't... give up..." As the pressure on her chest increased to insufferable levels, Marie reached up to rest a palm against Eden's cheek, gently wipe away the tear-stains with an unsteady hand. Black spots began to dot her vision, rapidly expanding outwards as it threatened to swallow her world whole. But she managed to squeeze out a tiny smile even amongst the darkness, feeling Eden's warm hand press against the back of hers. "There'll be... more people... that... need you." She gagged. "I'll always..."</p><p>Then, with a jerk of her body, her hand fell limp. Slipping past Eden's, it dropped onto the hardwood beneath her with a light thump.</p><p>"Marie...?" Eden called out in a quivering voice.</p><p>No response.</p><p>Not even a hum in acknowledgment.</p><p>Letting out a shuddering breath, Eden grabbed onto the blonde by the arms, shaking her gently. As her vision became clouded by an unbroken stream, she could barely make out her friend's closed eyes and the traces of sweat and tears that stained her cheeks. "Marie... Marie, please..." Bending forth to rest her forehead against Marie's stiff shoulder, Eden's body became wracked with an onslaught of sobs and moans. "Please just... Open your eyes... Please..." She begged, her hands clenching tightly as a gut-wrenching scream tore through her chest.</p><p>But Marie never moved again. Instead, her body slowly grew stiff as it laid motionless on the medical bed's wooden surface, with nothing but her lamenting friend sprawled over her.</p><p>
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</p><p>"You did a good job," Newt muttered, gently reeling Eden close so she could rest her forehead against his shoulder in the vast desert night.</p><p>Eden blinked.</p><p>While the arm against her chest was wedged in a strange place, and the rest of her body quickly grew uncomfortable from their awkward sitting position, his words alone were enough to negate the soreness as they brought forth a forgotten pain she kept buried for so long.</p><p>It took a moment for her to process, but once it did, her bottom lip began to quiver as she let out an involuntary whimper. Hot tears immediately began spilling over the corner of her eyes, racing down her cheeks faster than her ramming heart. She reached up, gently clutching onto the fabric of Newt's jacket with her free hand before turning to bury her face in his chest. She shuddered, flinching a little when he secured his arms around her back only to quickly melting into his hold.</p><p>Finally, she felt that everything would be alright again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. So far, it's been one of my favourites to write. I just wanted to let you all know there will be no update next Friday and Chapter 7 will instead be coming out the Friday after that.</p><p>Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story so far please consider dropping a vote and comment. Don't be a ghost reader and share some love ♥</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. [Chapter 7] ✙ Doctor's Orders</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">[Chapter 7] ✙ <b>Doctor's Orders</b></span>
</p><p> </p><p>The Scorch was truly unforgiving. From the blazing sun that beat down upon their backs to the unrelenting storms that whisked sand into their eyes, all odds seemed to be stacked against the teenagers as they lugged themselves across the vast wastelands. Food and water supplies were running at an all-time low, so much so Minho had tossed one of his many water bottles away in a fit of frustration. No one bothered to stop nor scold him though; they were all far too exhausted.</p><p>Perhaps it was out of a desire to cope with the recent loss of a friend and an ally, because no matter how tired anyone got, they didn't complain. Instead, they continued to trudge forth in silence, firmly planting one foot in front of the other as they crossed the seemingly boundless desert.</p><p>When the sun finally set across the horizon, a cloak of darkness began to settle from above, bringing forth a chilly breeze that finally urged the group to stop. Unable to spot anywhere suitable for shelter within the near vicinity, they instead chose to settle down in the middle of nowhere, dropping their packs to the ground and setting up camp.</p><p>As Eden began fixing the form of her bag into a proper pillow for her head, she suddenly burst into a violent fit of coughs, startling the others.</p><p>"Hey, you okay?" Aris asked worriedly, grey eyes laced with concern as he gently rubbed her back. "You've been coughing like this all day now, what's going on?"</p><p>"It's probably just from all the sand," The raven-haired girl said, her voice slightly hoarse.</p><p>Newt frowned. "What happened to your-" He paused, about to ask the whereabouts of her grey scarf only to faintly recall seeing it bloodied and crinkled beside Winston back when they woke up by the abandoned mall. His brows drew closer.</p><p>Noticing his complicated expression, Eden gave a wry smile. "Don't worry," She assured. "I should be fine after some rest."</p><p>
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</p><p>"Hey, hey!"</p><p>Sometime later that night, Eden began to hear voices in the distance. It wasn't until she felt the soft rustlings beside her, did she finally stir from her dream-like state. Slowly opening her heavy-eyelids, Thomas's elated expression drifted in and out of focus.</p><p>"Thomas...?" She murmured, propping herself up onto her elbow as she gently rubbed her eyes, watching as the boy scrambled onto all fours, mumbling barely coherent words as he moved to wake everyone else up.</p><p>"Come on, everyone, get up! I see something!" Once he finally found his voice, Thomas shouted as he smacked Newt's leg. Effectively waking him, and the others.</p><p>"What the hell, Thomas?" Minho groaned, letting out a tired yawn as he sat up.</p><p>"What is it?" Newt asked as he staggered onto unsteady feet. "What do you see?"</p><p>"Right there!" Thomas exclaimed, his breath growing quicker with excitement as he pointed towards a string of lights that resembled a cluster of rhinestones, twinkling on the horizon.</p><p>"Lights..." Teresa muttered in realization. "Signs of life...!"</p><p>"Finally!" Frypan let out a gleeful laugh.</p><p>"We should get going now," Aris suggested, throwing his pack over his shoulder. "For all we know, they could be gone by tomorrow morning."</p><p>"Good that," Minho nodded.</p><p>As everyone else leaned down to gather their stuff, a small rumble from above caught Eden's attention. She turned to stare up towards the sky, eyes darting left and right in caution as she made out the dark clouds rolling in above their heads. Brilliant flashes flickered within them, acting like camera flashes that momentarily illuminated the monochromatic landscape. She immediately scanned their surroundings, once again making note that they were nothing within a two-mile radius. Nothing except the desert sand, and them.</p><p>"Thomas," She called out nervously. "This isn't good."</p><p>Thomas followed her gaze towards the sky, just in time to see a fork of lightning slash towards the ground, accompanied by a thunderous boom. His face paled a little.</p><p>"Let's go," He ordered, motioning for everyone to move along. "We gotta go. Come on, let's go!"</p><p>Breaking out into a collective sprint, the group dashed towards the lights in the distance, which turned out to some industrial facility of sorts. Lightning struck down against the unsuspecting ground multiple times, zapping terrifying splices of white through the graphite sky. Eden stayed close to Aris and Frypan, running as quickly as her legs could carry her.</p><p>"Hurry!" Minho yelled, slowing his steps a little to tail the group.</p><p>"Come on, Teresa!" Thomas shouted, pushing the girl in front of himself as he ran beside Minho. "Go, go, go!"</p><p>As the group continued towards the building, they began to pass by several abandoned cars and trucks parked at the front. Some of which were flipped on their sides, some with their hoods, doors or even tires missing.</p><p>"Stay away from the cars!" Eden warned.</p><p>"We're getting closer!" Frypan shouted back, spotting a set of iron doors coming up ahead.</p><p>"Get inside! Go!" Thomas ordered, swatting his arms forward as he took a peek over his shoulder. His jaw clenched, watching as another bolt of lightning struck down on a nearby van, causing the vehicle to smoke out of its hood.</p><p>Not even a moment later, the clouds already brewing up another electrical strike. The world rumbled as a dash of pure white darted across the ashen sky in a horizontal flash, then it cleaved through the night, crashing down on Minho in a strike that sent both him and Thomas flying backwards.</p><p>"Minho! Thomas!" Frypan, Teresa and Eden skidded to a stop at the sound of Newt's voice. Turning their heads, they watched as both he and Aris turned on their heels, rushing back to help the two.</p><p>"Oh my god!" Eden gasped in terror, watching as Minho's unconscious body began to smoke from the zap.</p><p>"Don't worry about them!" Grabbing onto her arm, Frypan began tugging her towards the direction of the iron doors. "They've got it handled!"</p><p>"We've gotta keep going!" Teresa shouted.</p><p>"R-Right!" Eden nodded reluctantly, watching as Thomas scrambled to his feet while Newt and Aris hoisted Minho's arms over their shoulders. Following the two, she made her way to the heavyset iron doors just as Frypan yanked it open, nearly stumbling over her feet as she hurried inside.</p><p>"Move!" Holding the door open from the outside, Frypan waved the boys over, watching as they dragged Minho's body across the parking lot. "Come on, hurry up!"</p><p>The moment the four boys staggered into the safety of the industrial building, Frypan slammed the iron door shut while Eden sprung into action.</p><p>"Lay him down! Watch his head! Nobody touch the walls or anything made of metal in this place!" She belted out orders like rapid-fire, speaking in perhaps the most authoritative voice she's used in her entire life. "Somebody give me a light!" She said, immediately getting a response when Aris whipped out his flashlight and turned it on.</p><p>Shoving both Thomas and Newt aside, Eden knelt down next to Minho and started by gently shaking his shoulders. "Minho? Minho, can you hear me? Stay with me." She said, pursing her lips when she received no response. Brushing her hair out of the way, she leaned down over his face, listening for a moment.</p><p>"What's going on? Is he okay?" Thomas inquired, still panting from that mad dash they made across the desert.</p><p>Eden didn't respond. Instead, she brought her ear closer to Minho's mouth, brows furrowing.</p><p>"Is he going to be okay?!" Frypan asked again.</p><p>"Quiet!" She snapped, raising a finger as if signalling for the boys to shut up.</p><p>"Guys, just let her focus," Aris said shakily.</p><p>Lifting her head, Eden grabbed Minho's wrist, checking for his pulse before sucking in a harsh breath. "Oh my god," She muttered, frantically shrugging off her pack.</p><p>"What?" Newt asked in alarm. "Is he not breathing?"</p><p>"He's breathing, but it's irregular. The problem is his heart's not beating."</p><p>"W-What do we do?" Frypan was practically on the verge of tears.</p><p>Not bothering to answer, Eden wasted no time placed one hand on top of another and interlaced her fingers. Positioning the heel of her palm at the centre of Minho's chest, she began doing rapid chest-compressions, making sure her arms were straight, and her shoulders loomed directly over her hands at all times. "Come on..." She whispered as the others slipped into a mumbling mess.</p><p>"Minho, wake up!"</p><p>"Minho! Minho, please!"</p><p>"Come on, man!"</p><p>"Please..."</p><p>After about a minute and a hundred compressions or so, Minho suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Stopping the treatment, Eden moved to rest her hand under his head. "Minho?" She called out. "Minho, can you hear me?"</p><p>Giving a weak groan in response, Minho began to shift in his spot, stirring to consciousness as the others sighed in relief. Seeing that he was now out of any immediate danger, Eden collapsed back onto her heel, allowing Thomas and Newt room to hover over their insanely resilient friend.</p><p>Eyes fluttering open, Minho stared up at the ceiling in a daze before peering down at the worried faces that surrounded him. "What happened?" He asked in a strained voice.</p><p>Huffing out a wry laugh, Thomas exchanged a brief glance with Newt and Aris. "I think you got struck by lightning," He explained.</p><p>"Oh," Minho took a moment to process what Thomas said, but once he did, a cheeky grin quickly spread across his cheeks. "Cool."</p><p>Everyone else couldn't help but smile a little at Minho's nonchalant attitude, even after being struck by something as deadly as a lightning strike. Shaking his head, Newt rested his hand against his friend's back.</p><p>"Come on, let's get him up," He told Thomas and Aris, who nodded in response.</p><p>"Nice and easy," Aris said, holding onto Minho's arm as he helped the boy onto unsteady feet. The moment he stood up straight, Frypan got to work, dusting off the ash and sand from his jacket and pants.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, Thomas asked.</p><p>"Pretty good," Minho replied, reaching up to wipe the soot from his cheeks. "Thanks, guys."</p><p>At that comment, Newt immediately began looking around, searching for the one they should be thanking when he found her still sitting on the concrete ground, a shell-shocked expression lingering upon her features. Chuckling softly, he extended a hand towards her.</p><p>As Eden slowly calmed from her adrenaline high, a sense of relief washed over her, threatening to knock her out along with the sudden registration of how much pain she was in. Her arms and legs felt as if they were about to fall off while her throat and lungs felt as if they were on fire. Perhaps it was a delayed reaction or from the intense mood swing between horror and relaxation; tears began to prickle at the corner of her eyes when Newt's hand popped into her peripheral vision.</p><p>Eden stilled, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts as she stared at his outstretched hand. After blinking back the tears, she reached up to place her hand in his. She let out a small shriek in surprise as he pulled her to her feet, instinctively pressing a palm against his chest to prevent herself from colliding into him.</p><p>"Thanks," Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Newt murmured.</p><p>Craning her neck, Eden glanced up only to realize how close their faces were. So much so, if he were to lean forward by just a little, he could plant a kiss on her forehead.</p><p>"I-It's okay, really. I was just doing my job," She stammered, quickly averting her eyes downward as she felt her cheeks flush with heat. When they made eye contact, she felt as if every ounce of breath was being taken from her lungs, evaporating into the air like a trail of midnight smoke. A strange sensation was set a flutter in her stomach, and her skin was left tingling wherever they made contact.</p><p>"Even so, you didn't have to do that for him," Newt noted, his voice trembling slightly at the thought. "It's thanks to you, that shank didn't roll over and die. So... Thanks."</p><p>Eden's dark brown eyes rounded. Her heart was beating so erratically, she was almost certain he could hear it. "Of course," She said, gaze flickering upwards as her lips tugged into a bashful smile. "But... um... could you let go of me, please?"</p><p>Newt raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Your face... It's... a little close."</p><p>The moment she pointed out the lack of distance between them, Newt finally took notice of it as well. "O-Oh, sorry!" He apologized, quickly staggering backwards as he felt his face heat up. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to... erm... I... "Awkwardly rubbing his neck, he looked away, trying to conjure up an excuse as to why he was holding her so close with no avail. But that wasn't even the stranges thing about that whole endeavour.</p><p>The strangest thing was, he didn't mind it.</p><p>Watching as he fumbled over his words in an attempt to put together a coherent explanation, Eden giggled into her hand, her cheeks still tinted pink. "It's okay," She assured, finding it at least a little comforting that she wasn't the only one feeling embarrassed by being in such close proximity with each other.</p><p>"Teresa?" Thomas's voice caught both of their attention as they followed his gaze towards the girl, watching as she peered into the darkness surrounding them with her nose scrunched.</p><p>"What's that smell?" She murmured under her breath. Rummaging through her pack, she quickly pulled out her flashlight and turned it on. The moment the beam of light shot through the steady darkness, a veiny, rotten face lunged into view, accompanied by a loud screech that scared the group out of their skins.</p><p>"Get back, get back!" Thomas yelled, grabbing onto Teresa's hand and pulling her back towards the door as everyone began to huddle towards it. He and Newt each pulled out their own flashlights, shining it on the creature's body only to realize that it was chained by the waist to a nearby pole.</p><p>Before anyone could let out a sigh in relief, Teresa turned her head, face contorting with horror. "Behind you!" She warned as everyone turned their heads to see another Crank jump towards them, barely pulled back by a chain to the wrist.</p><p>"Over there!" Eden screamed, nearly tripping on her feet as she dodged the swinging arm of another snarling Crank, this time chained by the neck.</p><p>Thomas and Aris aimed their flashlight further into the darkness, revealing several dozen more Cranks leashed to various heavy objects around the room. Making several bone-chillingly high-pitched groans, they tugged against the rattling chains, twisting and writhing their bodies as they reached for the group with outstretched claws like a herd of hungry predators.</p><p>"Oh, shit! Oh my god!" Thomas cursed, spreading a shaky arm out in an attempt to create a futile barrier between the Cranks and the others.</p><p>"I see you've met our guard dogs," A cool voice suddenly rang over the mixture of barks and growls. With a loud click, a sudden golden ray of light illuminated the inner section of the building, revealing the silhouette of what seemed to be a young woman.</p><p>The group stopped struggling for a moment, watching in a mixture of shock and amazement as the mysterious stranger stepped forth into the Crank-infested room. She sauntered through in a clean and precise line, not at all fazed by the flailing arms and unhinged jaws aimed towards her as she always remained just out of reach.</p><p>Strutting into the incandescent of the group's flashlights, the stranger's appearance finally came into view. She was small, about two inches shorter than Eden and three to Teresa, with tattered clothes and short brown hair styled into a pixie cut.</p><p>Sweeping her gaze over the group of teenagers about the same age as her, the girl gave a condescending sneer. "You guys look like shit." She scoffed before turning back on her heel. "Come on, follow me."</p><p>For a moment there, the group stood still, unsure of what to do.</p><p>Noticing this, the girl peered over her shoulder, giving them an estranged yet mocking look. "Unless you wanna stay here with them?" She offered snarkily.</p><p>Pressing his lips together, Thomas looked back at the group before giving a reluctant nod. He then took a few steps forward, carefully tracing the girl's footsteps as to he keep himself within the sweet spot where the Cranks couldn't reach. Eden grabbed her pack still lying somewhere on the ground and followed after, walking with the others in a single-file line through the part of what they could only assume to be the foyer of the building, judging by how the stranger referred to them their 'guard dogs.'</p><p>The girl led them up a set of rickety staircase, and into a dimly lit hallway. Eden glanced out the clear mosaic window at the side of the wall, noticing that the thunderstorm was still roaring on outside.</p><p>"How do you catch those things?" She heard Thomas ask the girl.</p><p>"Catch them? What, do you think we're stupid?" The girl raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to look at him. "We don't catch them. We just take precautions when people start to turn."</p><p>"Wait," Teresa piped in as her brows drew closer. "Those things back there were your friends? You just chained them up?"</p><p>"No better cutting them lose to Crankland."</p><p>"The hell is Crankland?" Frypan questioned.</p><p>Stopping at a sliding glass door that has long yellowed from age, the girl turned to look at them with a faint chuckle. "You guys aren't from around here, are you?" She noted, casting them a smug look before throwing the door open, allowing it to slam against the wall with a loud clank.</p><p>Following her through, the group found themselves inside what seemed an abandoned warehouse. The large glass ceilings were vaulted, held up by beams of iron pillars that created cross-patterns above. People young and old were gathered within, sitting by fires while wrapped in bundles of jackets and sweaters. Some seemed to be occupied by basic card games, while others simply looked to be immersed in conversation. But as the group walked past them and towards the inner section, Eden couldn't help but notice that many of the people had turned to look towards them, cackling, discussing and overall sizing them up with what she could only assume to be scorn and distaste. Keeping her hands clasped before her chest, she kept her head down in an attempt to avoid eye contact with anyone.</p><p>As the short-haired girl led Thomas, Teresa, and Frypan up another flight of stairs, a large, bald man with a beard emerged from around the corner, momentarily separating the group as he stood in Minho's path.</p><p>"So now we're taking in strays?" He asked, locking eyes with Minho, who refused to be intimidated by him.</p><p>"Back off, Barkley," The girl spoke, glaring down at the grown-man nearly twice her size. "Jorge saw them first," She warned.</p><p>The man named Barkley scoffed. Taking one last look at Minho, he took a step back to give him and the others behind him space to ascend the rusty staircase.</p><p>"Who's Jorge?" Once they got to the top of the stairs, Thomas asked in confusion.</p><p>The girl smirked. "You'll see," She hummed, exchanging brief nods with a few others as she continued. "No one's come out of the Scorch in a long time. You've just got him curious," She informed, turning to look at Thomas as she scanned him up and down. "And me, too," She then added.</p><p>Teresa seemed a little taken aback by her comment.</p><p>Hearing a few snickers behind their back, Eden peeked over her shoulder only to come face to face with Barkley and twenty or so other men. Barkley flashed a crooked grin, sending a chill up her spine as she immediately snapped her head back around, so much so, she wondered if she was going to get whiplash for a second. Staring down at her feet, her shoulders instinctively tightened around her body as another series of mocking laughter broke out, presumably making fun of her timid reaction. In her anxious state, she reached out towards the first thing she could get her hands on.</p><p>Feeling a light tug on the hem of his sleeve, Newt peered down, spotting Eden's trembling hand clutching onto the cuff of his jacket for dear life. He immediately enveloped his hand around hers, gently tracing circles on her whitening knuckles before giving a small yet reassuring nod.</p><p>"Anyone else starting to get a bad feeling about this place?" He questioned, shooting the creepy men a cautious glance.</p><p>"Let's just hear him out, see what he has to say," Thomas said, turning to look at the blond as they began climbing another set of stairs.</p><p>"Jorge, they're here," The girl announced as they entered what seemed to be a loft at the top of the building.</p><p>Eden squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim, low-hanging incandescent lights as the disorganized room came into view. A man sat behind a desk with his back towards them, surrounded by numerous gadgets and furniture pieces as he tinkered with what they could only assume to be an old radio.</p><p>"Thank you, Brenda," He muttered, pressing a hand against the cup of his headphones as he listened in silence, only to yank the coil cord with a light cuss.</p><p>The girl, who's name was Brenda plopped onto a nearby couch.</p><p>A dash of lightning roared on outside as the man turned around the face the group, revealing himself to be someone in his mid 50's with brown skin and greying hair. He huffed out a sigh, resting his hands on his hips. "Do you ever get the feeling the whole world's against you?"</p><p>The group exchanged wary looks, not knowing what to say.</p><p>"Three questions," Jorge cleared his throat, reaching to grab a pitcher filled with water. "Where did you come from? Where are you going? How can I profit?" He stated, leaving room for the group to respond as he poured himself a glass.</p><p>Nobody made a sound.</p><p>Jorge cocked an eyebrow. "Don't all answer at once."</p><p>Swallowing at the sight of freshwater, Thomas spoke up. "We're headed for the mountains," He explained. "Looking for the Right Arm."</p><p>Barkley and the dozen or so men gathered behind the group broke into another fit of mocking laughter.</p><p>"You're looking for ghosts, you mean," Jorge corrected, taking a sip of water and setting it down on the table. "Question number two," He continued. "Where did you come from?"</p><p>Thomas and Minho shared a skeptical look. "That's our business," The latter replied defensively.</p><p>A hint of boredom crossed Jorge's face with that response. Taking a step back, he shrugged.</p><p>With that simple indication from their leader, the men surrounding the group pounced forth, two of which shoving Thomas and Minho to their knees while the others held the group back, preventing them from helping their friends.</p><p>"Hey!" Thomas writhed against the man's iron grips, struggling to break free with no avail.</p><p>"Get your shucking hands off me!" Minho bellowed, having a little more success in thrashing against their grasps, so much so, another man had to come in to help his friend force the boy to his knees.</p><p>"Thomas! Minho!" Newt shouted.</p><p>Taking the chance, Brenda approached the two.</p><p>"Get the hell off me, man!" Thomas yelled in alarm at the sight of a strange device in her hands. "What is that?!"</p><p>Brenda scoffed, pushing his head down a little to expose his neck. "Shut up, you big baby," She spat, holding the device up to his neck. The machine made a loud whirring noise as a red beam swept across his neck, revealing a weird looking tattoo of sorts.</p><p>Staring down at the device, Brenda's eyes widened in amazement. "You were right," She said, glancing up at Jorge as the men loosened their grips on Thomas and Minho, who immediately scrambled to their feet.</p><p>"Right about what?" Thomas questioned, watching as Jorge slipped on a pair of glasses to inspect the content on the screen of the scanner with great interest. "What is she talking about?"</p><p>Jorge chuckled, reading over the scanner one last time before taking off his glasses and turning to Thomas. "I'm sorry, hermano. Looks like you're tagged," He announced, lips curling into an unsettling smirk. "You came from WICKED. Which means... You're very valuable."</p><p>At his words, the men surrounding them began to inch closer, causing the group to huddle together warily.</p><p>"Take our guests to the waiting room," Jorge instructed. "Have them hang around for a bit."</p><p>Barkley grinned. "You heard him, get movin'," He ordered, taking Thomas by the arm and shoving the boy down the stairs, ignoring his loud protests.</p><p>The room quickly descended into a state of chaos as the others began to scream and shout, struggling against their captors' grips as they were forced to follow their leader down the flight of stairs. Minho fought back as best he could, delivering a swift kick towards the man stationed behind him. But it didn't take long before several other men lunged forth and got hold of him, forcefully pressing his head down and twisting his arm behind his back, earning a pained yelp from the boy.</p><p>"Let go! Let go of me!" Aris squirmed as he was the next to be escorted along behind Frypan and Teresa.</p><p>"Aris!" Eden cried, her entire body was frozen with fear from the rapid change of developments when another man reached forth, grabbing her by the wrist and jerking her after the others.</p><p>"Stop yappin' and keep movin'!" He roared.</p><p>The raven-haired girl shrieked, terrified by what they might do if she didn't comply. "I-I'm sorry!" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Please don't hurt me!"</p><p>The man froze, slightly taken aback by her lack of resistance compared to her friends. But it didn't take long before an eerie grin spread across his cheeks as his other hand grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her to look up into his crazed eyes. "Well, would you look at that?" He mused.</p><p>"Hey! Keep your bloody hands off her!" Newt snapped, attempting to break free of his captor's grasps as he was shoved past her and down the stairs.</p><p>"Girls should just stay pretty and docile like this one," Eden held her breath, feeling her stomach churn in disgust as the man caressed her cheek with a calloused hand. Though she didn't dare to make a peep. "You could learn a thing or two from her, Brenda." He said, sneering at the girl with olive-coloured skin.</p><p>Brenda rolled her eyes. "Get her outta here, Ivan."</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Dragged out of the loft and into a separate area of the facility, the group found themselves shoved into a room with a large gaping hole cut out at the centre. Several ropes hung from a contraption above, dangling in the pale moonlight that beamed through the skylight. The lightning had stopped, which was nice, but something told Eden whatever the men had planned for them wouldn't be that pleasant by comparison.</p><p>Letting go of her, the man named Ivan stepped up to a giant lever to the side of the hole, pulling downwards. The ropes dropped a little, causing Barkley's grin to widen.</p><p>"Alright!" He cheered. "Who wants to show the rest of your friends how this is gonna work?"</p><p>"I'd say this one," One of the several men holding Minho down piped up, gesturing the boy with a snicker. "He looks the most eager."</p><p>"Yeah, eager to break your shuck nose," Minho spat, glaring up at the man. "I swear if I could move, I could kick all your pony-lovin' butts right here, right now," He grunted, wriggling to break out of the man's firm grasp as if to prove a point.</p><p>Barkley chuckled darkly. "Looks like we have our volunteer."</p><p>Watching as the men began to push Minho towards the ropes, Eden felt as if time slowed down for a moment. Her body moved almost on instinct, much faster than her mind could think things through. "W-Wait!" She heard a scream, though she couldn't tell if the voice came from her or someone else.</p><p>By the time she processed what happened, she had already pushed past the others, standing between Minho and Barkley with her arms spread. All eyes were on her, some surprised while others scrutinizing.</p><p>Barkley looked the girl up and down. "What do you want, girlie?" He snarled in a low voice.</p><p>"I... I..." Under his menacing stare, Eden pressed her lips together to swallow back scream. Her rigid arms shook uncontrollably, like her entire body was experiencing an earthquake of its own. She looked as if someone were to give her a soft poke or if the winds were to blow a little harder, she'd collapse and shatter like glass. Even so, she continued to stand her ground, staring back at Barkley with watering eyes. "I volunteer!" She shouted so loudly, she was sure the entire Scorch could hear her.</p><p>"What're you doing?" Minho whispered, slightly taken aback by what the girl was implying.</p><p>"You were just struck by lightning, Minho," Eden replied, ignoring the sounds of her ramming heartbeat thrashing in her ears. "Whatever this is, I can't let you go first."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"Doctor's Orders, stand down!" She hushed sharply, cutting off his or anyone else's attempts to protest her decision. Lowering her arms, she took a deep, doing her best to steel her nerves before turning back to Barkley. "I'll go first," She said, this time in a steadier voice. Though her raspy breaths and clenched fist continued to betray the fear she desperately kept repressed within.</p><p>Barkley hummed, a look of amusement crossing his protruding eyes. "It doesn't matter to us," He shrugged, gruffly shoving Eden towards the centre hole, letting out a sadistic laugh as she shrieked in surprise.</p><p>As she steadied her footing, Eden bit her bottom lip as she felt an overwhelming sense of terror wash over her. With a hand clasped before her chest, she kept leg muscles tighten, creating a dull ache all over her body as her survival instincts to flee wrestled against her feet that remained firmly rooted to the ground. She closed her eyes, momentarily tuning out the faint calls for her name from behind as she braced herself.</p><p>This was her job. It was her pride as a medic to take care of others, bringing the smallest hint of relief and safety even if it meant she needed to take a bullet or two. She had decided on that the moment she joined Thomas's group in their grand escape from the WICKED facility.</p><p>It's the only thing she's capable of. The only contribution she could make to the group.</p><p>Feeling the violent waves in her chest calm ever-so-slightly, Eden opened her eyes and took a few steps toward the circular hole, waiting on her next instructions.</p><p>The temporary sense of tranquillity quickly shattered, however, as Barkley grabbed a fistful of her hair. "But are you sure you wanna go first?" He questioned before pushing her head downwards. Eden lost control over her voice at the sudden motion, letting out a series of shrilling screams as the bearded-man forced her to look into the gaping hole, barely holding onto her by a painful grip on her upper arm.</p><p>"Eden!" Newt shouted in a panic, the others following along.</p><p>"What are you doing?! Let her go!" Thomas yelled, attempting to charge forth only to be held back by the other men.</p><p>"Look down there, girlie," Ignoring the fuss, Barkley taunted with a twisted sense of humour.</p><p>Eden followed his instructions, trying to keep her eyes open despite her vision being blurred with the tears that swelled within them. She felt her stomach drop, realizing that they were standing four stories above the facility's foyer, where they kept all their Crank' guard dogs' chained up. The rotting creatures screeched at the sight of her, violently yanking against their cuffs and chains in an attempt to grab fresh human meat.</p><p>She didn't dare to flail or move, fearing that the man might lose his temper and drop her down.</p><p>"We haven't fed those guys in a long while," Barkley informed, cackling maniacally as he watched Eden's face turn pallid. "One little slip-up, and you could end up their first meal in years. Still wanna play the hero?"</p><p>An involuntary whimper escaped Eden's lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her body break into a violent tremor. However, despite the paralyzing terror that numbed her senses, she somehow found the burst of energy to reach up. Grabbing onto Barkley's hand, she ripped it away from her head in a jerky motion, allowing him to pull out a few strands of her hair in the process as she staggered away from the hole.</p><p>"Don't patronize me!" She shouted, her voice cracking slightly as hot tears spilled over the corner of her eyes, running down her cheeks like a never-ending stream. "I volunteered to go first, so I'll go first!" Despite the presence of tears, she still lifted her head to glare directly at the man, a small yet visible flame flickering in the darkness of her irises.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. [Chapter 8] ✙ Thomas the Foreign Ambassador</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>[Chapter 8] ✙ </span>
    <b>Thomas the Foreign Ambassador</b>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it turned out, when Jorge said 'hang around for a bit,' he meant it quite literally. Soon, the group found themselves suspended by their feet, dangling over the large hole above dozens of screaming Cranks. While unpleasant, the treatment was certainly better than whatever Eden's imagination had led her to believe. Minho, on the other hand, didn't seem too thrilled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good plan, Thomas. 'Just hear what the man has to say.'" He sassed, shooting his friend a mocking glance as their bodies swayed in the air. "Really working out for us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, shut up, Minho," Thomas rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"While we're at it, why don't we just go ahead and name you our official foreign ambassador?" Ignoring their leader's mumblings, Minho continued his rant. "Bet you can get all the guys to open up and tell us about the good ol' days. Maybe they'll even offer us a seat in their waiting room to hang around above their shuckin' guard dogs." He jeered, throwing his arms out in exasperation, nearly whacking Newt in the face as he did so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, I get it!" Whipping his head around to face the boy, Thomas barked, though physics seemed to disagree as his body slowly began to twirl in circles from his jerky movements. He sighed at his pathetic display. "What are you so worked up about, man?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know, Thomas. Maybe it's because I was just struck by shuckin' lightning, and now I'm dangling by my feet over a hoard of hungry Cranks like a klunk of meat in the Blood House!" Minho exclaimed in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If this makes you feel any better," Eden piped up from behind the boys. "I heard inversion therapy does wonders for your back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frypan raised an eyebrow. "How's that supposed to help?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, perhaps we'll never need back surgery for the rest of our lives."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho deadpanned at her statement. "Slim it, doc." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"S-Sorry..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Either way, I should've slugged that ugly shank in the face the moment I laid eyes on him," Minho continued, grumbling as he began wiggling his body around. "But thanks to Mr. Ambassador over there, we're now stuck like-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, shut your hole, Minho," Newt snapped, utterly fed up with his constant complaining. "Instead of arguing 'bout whose bloody fault this is, why don't we find a way to get down first?" He said, gesturing the ropes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How, though?" Teresa asked, having already scanned the area while the boys were too preoccupied with their bickerings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe I can reach the rope," Attempting to crunch his body upwards, Thomas grunted for a little while only to fall back with a groan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wouldn't suggest doing that," Eden squeaked. "Even if you could reach the ropes, we're still hanging directly over a ten-foot hole," She reminded, pointing towards the snarling Cranks beneath them. "The railings are too far out of reach, where would you go from there?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris sighed. "I get your trying to help, Eden. But your observations really aren't doing wonders for our group moral right now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry..." She murmured sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the teenagers too busy arguing back and forth, they collectively failed to notice Jorge enter the room, carrying a skull-shaped cane in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Enjoying the view?" He hummed, partially amused by their banter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What the hell do you want?" Despite their clear disadvantage, Minho was quick to retort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge chuckled to himself. "That is the question. My men want to sell you back to WICKED. Life has taught them to think small. But I'm not like that," He said, dark eyes scanning the group. "And something tells me that you're not either."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho grumbled. "Is the blood rushing to my head, or is this shank not making any sense?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think he's saying that there's something he wants from us," Eden suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Exactly," Jorge nodded. "Information, that is what I want. Information about the Right Arm." He elaborated, pointing the butt of his cane at Thomas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I thought you said they were ghosts?" Newt challenged, brows furrowing in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peering at the blond, a teasing smirk cracked on Jorge's face. "I happen to believe in ghosts," He joked. "Especially when I hear them chattering on the airwaves."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pacing around the edge of the circle, the man then rested his hand atop the giant lever. "You tell me what you know, and maybe we can make a deal," He offered, though his tone and stance really left the group little room for argument. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas swallowed hard, briefly sneaking a glance back at Newt and Minho. The latter of which immediately shook his head. "We... We don't know much."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unsatisfied with his response, Jorge's expression hardened. With a simple, unimpressed shrug, he pushed the lever, sending the contraption that held the group's ropes dropping a few inches downwards. Everyone yelped in terror, shrieking, squirming or in Minho's case, yelling out a long string of Glader curses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay! Okay, all right!" Flailing his arms, Thomas gestured for the man to stop. "They're hiding in the mountains. They attacked WICKED and got out a bunch of kids. That's it. That's all we know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of recognition seemed to have crossed Jorge's face as he stilled for a moment. His lips parted, about to say something when-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yo, Jorge," Barkley stepped into the room, glancing over at the teenagers with a menacing glare, one of which Eden instinctively recoiled from. "What goin' on here?" He questioned his supposed 'leader.'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Me and my new friends were just getting acquainted," Jorge replied as he cast Thomas an indecipherable look. "We're done now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching as the Hispanic man turned to leave, Thomas grew confused. "Hey, wait!" He called out, bringing Jorge's steps to a halt. "You're not gonna help us?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barkley narrowed his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring his subordinate's suspicious gaze, Jorge chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, hermano. We'll get you back to where you belong," He assured before spinning on his heel and exiting the room. "Hang tight!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the obvious presence of a joke, no one laughed. Not even Barkley. Instead, the bearded man shot the hanging teenagers one last ominous glance before walking out and into the darkness of the corridors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once his heavy footsteps against the rusty staircases were out of earshot, Minho huffed. "Good going, Thomas," He grumbled in irritation. "You're fired."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"For what?" Even though the idea of having an 'official foreign ambassador' in the first place felt utterly ridiculous to him, it would be a lie to say Thomas didn't feel even the slightest bit offended for being fired from his position so quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"For telling that shank about the Right Arm, shuck-face," Minho spat. "Now they're just gonna drop us down, and we're all gonna become Crank dinner."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden tilted her head to the side. If her sense of time was at least somewhat accurate, it should've been about midnight when they woke up and ran from that lightning storm. And if they added on the hour or two they've already spent 'hanging' around the facility, it should be around two or three in the morning at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Does that even count as dinner anymore?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked a few times.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Definitely not.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As she began mentally debating between the phrases' dinfast' or 'brinner,' Eden shifted her gaze to the side, dark brown eyes landing on the metal railing that lined the hole's circumference. She hummed, noting that thanks to Jorge's little lever stunt, it was a lot close than before. An idea flashed across her mind as she scanned the room in a hurry, locating the lever not too far behind Teresa. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, if I didn't tell him, we'd already be down there," Thomas's irked voice drew her out of her train of thought as she looked towards the boys. "At least, for now, we're still alive and... not Crank food."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho rolled his eyes. "Yeah, staring down the jaws of death is a real joy."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Would both of you just slim it?! Get back to focusing on how to get down first," Newt glared at the bickering duo, somewhat resembling an angry parent that was chastising his two children for their misbehaviour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And how would we do that, genius?" Though Thomas seemed to have calmed down a little, Minho was quick to retort. "Didn't you hear what the doc just said? Even if we could reach the ropes, where would we go from there?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Actually-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then instead of yappin' about it like a bloody sissy, why don't you start working that head of yours and think of something?" Newt shot back. "Or are you gonna tell me that lightning strike also fried your brain into klunk?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the argument transitioned from being between Minho and Thomas to Minho and Newt, Eden couldn't help but heave a small sigh with a troubled expression. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just ignore those slintheads," Frypan advised from beside, casting her an encouraging smile. "Go on. What were you gonna say?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-Oh, of course," As always, Frypan's friendliness caught Eden off-guard by a little as she blinked to recompose herself. "Teresa?" She turned her head, surprised to find said girl already trying to reach out towards the handrails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm already on it," She replied, wiggling her body from left to right in an attempt to gain some momentum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you shanks mumbling about back there?" Dipping out mid-banter with Newt, Minho chimed in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I get it!" Smart as ever, Aris was quick to catch onto what the girls were planning. "You're trying to get Teresa to the lever, right? If we pull that rope thing down a little more, she could probably untie herself and then help the rest of us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas immediately looked towards the girl, narrowing his eyes slightly as he visually estimated the distance between her and the metal rails. "That... does seem possible," He admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright," Frypan cheered as the group finally agreed on a proper plan. "How's it lookin' Teresa?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's still too far," She grunted in frustration, her efforts barely gaining enough momentum for her to reach the lever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think she's gonna need a boost," Eden pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho let out a dry laugh at her obvious statement. "Wow, how'd you come up with that idea?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You just always have to have the buggin' last word, don't cha Minho?" Newt grumbled in annoyance, casting the Asian boy an irritated glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course," Returning his friend's look with a triumphant grin, Minho then spun his body a little to face Teresa, reaching his hands out with grabby motions. "Here, I can do it. Hey Mr. Ex-Ambassador, think you can swing her over to me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure," Resigning himself to being on the butt-end of Minho's jokes for the day, Thomas sighed. He swayed his body forward, barely latching onto Teresa's outstretched arms. "Okay, I got it," He murmured, pulling her close. "Minho, you ready?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, pass her over."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding, Thomas did as he was told.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Gotcha," Minho huffed in relief as he caught the girl with ease. He peered up at the lever, squinting an eye in an attempt to line her up correctly. "Ready?" He asked, securing his grip on her hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Teresa braced herself. "Anytime."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, here we go. One... Two... Three!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a strained cry, Minho pushed Teresa in the direction of the lever with as much force as he could muster. Teresa curled her body forth, stretching her hands out for the rusted rails only for them to barely brush past her fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shuck!" Minho shouted, catching Teresa by her jacket as she swivelled back towards him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shhh," Eden pressed a finger to her lips. "They might hear us," She reminded anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on, Minho," Newt encouraged in a whisper. "Push her harder!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, man. Don't let all the food I made for you go to waste," Frypan added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, alright," Pressing his lips together, Minho's expression tightened with concentration as he lined Teresa up once more. "Okay, this is it," He announced, exchanging a quick nod in affirmation with the girl. "One... Two... Three!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On his count, Minho shoved her forth with all his strength, propelling Teresa's body forward and allowing her to firmly grasp onto the rails mid-swing. Everyone began to cheer in a mixture of excitement and relief, watching as she spun her body upright with an exerted cry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, Teresa, hurry!" Thomas urged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arching her back and hoisting herself up a little more, Teresa rested her hand against the lever a little further away. "I'm gonna pull it," She warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the heads-up, the group couldn't help but let out a panicked cry as the contraption jolted them downwards a little more. Now adequately seated on the concrete ground, Teresa began untying the fraying ropes from her ankles when Eden heard a faint rumbling approach from the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's that sound?" Her brows furrowed with worry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as she freed herself, Teresa quickly located a few metal pipes leaned up against the corner of the room. Standing at the edge of the giant hole, she reached the opposite end towards Thomas, who immediately grabbed on and began reeling himself in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment the ropes around Thomas's ankles fell slack, a bright light flashed through the frosted window panels, nearly rendering the group blind from the sudden visual stimulation as they yelped in surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good evening! This is the World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department." A familiar voice echoed throughout the facility from an external set of speakers. "We have your compound completely surrounded. You find yourselves, through no fault of your own in possession of WICKED property."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's Ratman!" Frypan exclaimed in alarm. "How did they find us so quickly?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No idea, but we've gotta get out of here. Now!" Thomas shouted over Janson's voice, scrambling to his feet, reaching to grab another one of those metal pipes as he began reeling Newt in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Thomas worked on untying the blond, Teresa grabbed Aris. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aris, could you go find our bags?" Eden asked, searching the shadowy darkness of the room with no avail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure," The boy hurried off the moment he was set free from his binds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who cares about those right now?!" Minho snapped as he clasped onto Thomas's outstretched pipe. "Shouldn't we be more worried about, you know, getting the shuck out of here?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's some really important stuff in my bag," Eden reasoned nervously. "Besides, we can't afford to lose our food and water supplies."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can always find that stuff somewhere else!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just leave her be, Minho," Newt intervened, hurrying to grab a pipe of his own. Seeing as Teresa moved on to helping Frypan down from the ropes, he reached out to Eden, who was the last one remaining. "Grab on," He instructed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"R-Right," Latching onto the rusted pipe, Eden zoned out for a moment as Newt pulled her in, noticing that Janson's speech had come to an end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The hope of a cure lies in your hands. The choice is yours."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Newt laid her down on the concrete ground and began untying the rope around her ankles, Eden let out a small groan as she felt the blood rush down from her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, suddenly breaking into a violent fit of coughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You good?" Newt shot her concerned glance as he loosened the knot at her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm alright," Eden assured, casting him the best smile she could muster at the moment. "Thank you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt pressed his lips together, watching as the Asian girl's eyes watered from how much she struggled to catch a breath between raspy breaths. "We'll get you some water soon, alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The bags! They're over here!" Aris called as he dragged out two packs by the handle from a room hidden further back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wasting no time locating his bag and throwing it over his shoulders, Thomas swiftly counted up their numbers before exchanging a nod with Minho. "Alright," He huffed. "Does anyone remember how to get out of here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do," Eden cleared her throat, readjusting the straps on her shoulders before gingerly stepping around the hole in the ground. With a small smile, she looked back towards the group. "It's this way-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Behind you!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could react to Newt's panicked cry, a hand reached out from the darkness, yanking the girl backwards and locking her neck into a suffocating choke-hold. "Nobody move!" A gruff voice barked in her ears, snapping her eyes shut as her hands latched against her assailant's arms out of instinct, attempting to pry it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone's steps came to a screeching halt, watching in horror as Barkley pressed the muzzle of a gun to the side of Eden's head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let go of her!" Aris demanded, about to charge forth only to be held back by Teresa and Frypan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"H-Hey!" Thomas gulped, immediately throwing up his shaky hands in a surrendering position. "Just let her go, man. We're not trying to cause any trouble. We just gotta get out of here," He reasoned, suppressing the urge to lunge at the man, fearing that any form of movements could drive the man to pull the trigger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A twisted grin etched onto the bearded man's face. "Is that so?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Barkley," Janson's voice rang out of nowhere, startling the group. It seemed to be coming from the radio transceiver secured on the man's belt, judging from how gargled it sounded. "Barkley, come in. What's your position?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I got 'em for ya, Janson," He replied with a dark chuckle. "I'm bringing 'em down now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the radio switched off on the opposite end, Barkley narrowed his crazed eyes. "Come on, let's go," He ordered, attempting to usher the group off like a herd of sheep only to notice that they had grown stiff, unsure of what to do. "I said, let's go!" Growing impatient, he drove the muzzle further into Eden's head, drawing a shriek in terror from the trembling girl. "Unless you want her brains to be blown out, I suggest ya get moving!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden's breaths were shallow. The heavy scent of gunpowder flooded her nostrils as her dark brown eyes darted between Thomas's conflicted expression and Barkley's irritated scowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clenching his jaw, Thomas peered over his shoulder at Newt, who simply nodded in response. Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards Barkley and took a staggering step forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing that they were going to comply with the mad man's demands, Eden's mind flew into a state of panic. She glanced to the side, instantly taking note of Barkley's exposed hand not too far away. Not thinking twice, she jerked her head to the side and bit down as hard as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taken off-guard by the sudden pain, Barkley let out a sharp cry. But the shock quickly transformed into fury as he knocked her to the ground, aiming the gun directly between her furrowed brows as she propped herself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You little bitch!" He roared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden's body curled in instinct as a deafening gunshot echoed throughout the night. She stared down at her body, anxiously inspecting for any blood or gun wounds when she heard a low groan above her. Confused, she peered up only to see Barkley fall forward, collapsing to the ground and revealing Brenda not far behind him, pistol in hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eden!" Before she could fully process what had happened, the group rushed over, quickly crowding her vision as they checked for injuries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did he get you? Are you shot?!" Aris shouted, slowly growing evermore panicked when she didn't respond in her shell-shocked state. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look at me," Cupping her cheeks between his palms, Newt forced her to look up at him. "Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked, his brown eyes calmly searching her glossy ones for any signs of distress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still too little choked up to speak, Eden could only shake her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letting out a temporary sigh in relief, Thomas's gaze then trailed up towards the olive-skinned girl, eyeing her with suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After confirming that Barkley was dead, Brenda cocked her head. "Okay, let's go," She took a few steps towards the exit only to notice the group's hesitation. "Come on, let's go!" She shouted, motioning for them to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas pressed his lips together. Without much of an option, he ran after the girl while Minho trailing close behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here," Grabbing her hand, Newt pulled Eden to her feet. "Let's go!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they followed Brenda out the 'waiting room' and through the rest of the compound, a country-jazz song suddenly started blasting through the speakers, instantly cutting through all tension previously built-up within their bodies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The shuck is that?!" Minho raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Less talking, more running," Brenda snapped as she took a sharp turn around the corner and bolted up the rusted staircase that led to Jorge's loft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Brenda! Hurry! We don't have much time!" The Hispanic man joined the group as they reached the top, securing the straps of an overflowing cross-shoulder bag on his back with an excited grin. "Right this way!" He led them towards the corner of the room, throwing open a set of frosted windows to reveal a single line of wire stretching from their current location to a neighbouring building in a downward slope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling the cold desert air batting against his face, Frypan's jaw dropped. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me," He murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Plan B, hermano," Jorge shouted over the roaring helicopters as he lined up several knots of cloth ropes he kept secured to their end of the wire. "You kids wanna get to the Right Arm? I'll lead you to them. But you're gonna owe me," He smirked. Then, tugging down one of the ropes, he secured it around his hands before leaping off the edge with a cackle. "Follow me!" He hollered, zipping into the darkness as the group peered out in an incomprehensible mixture of amazement and horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright!" Snapping them out of their daze state, Brenda yanked down another set of ropes. "Let's go! Come on!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas complied, ushering everyone forward as Minho grabbed hold of the next set of ropes, plunging into the darkness. Frypan went next, followed by Aris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden watched anxiously as her friend crossed the zipline, gasping when the scouring lights of the WICKED helicopters land on him, catching the side of Aris's face as he slid towards the other building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had to hurry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to grab the next set of ropes when she registered a light squeeze on her hand. It then hit her that Newt hadn't let go since helping her up from the ground. She peered up at him, slightly taken by the abject terror painted on the boy's face as he stared down at the immense drop. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Is he afraid of heights?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She wondered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," Gingerly cupping his trembling hand in her own, Eden gave him a small, reassuring smile. "It's gonna be alright. Here, I'll show you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly pulling away from him, Eden marched up to the ropes and made sure to wrap it around the palm of her hands several times. After confirming that the rounds were as secure as possible, she peeked over the edge only to feel her stomach harden as she gauged the ten-feet drop beneath them. Releasing a staggering breath, she quickly turned back to Newt's uncertain expression before her impending fears could consume her whole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"See you there," She said. Then without even waiting for a response, she tightened her grasp on the ropes and pushing off on trembling legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden squinted her watering eyes, feeling the violent winds batter against her face as her raven-coloured hair flew in all directions. She bit her bottom lip, feeling her hands grow clammy with sweat as her grip began to downwards. Using what little core strength she had, she crunched her legs to her torso, trying to gain momentum by making her body as small as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the opening of the deformed wall came into view, so did Jorge's frantic gestures. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Slow down!" She heard him yell. "You're gonna crash!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened once she registered his words. Realizing that the zipline was hooked onto the melted water pipes in a solid wall, she immediately dropped her legs in an attempt to slow down only for her hands to slip from her sudden movements. Her aching finger joints gave in, releasing the rope just as she zipped across the building's edge. She let out an involuntary cry, about to crash into the rubbled walls when Minho suddenly lunged into view, catching her snug in his chest as the remaining momentum knocking them to the concrete ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eden!" Aris rushed over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Disoriented, Eden swiftly propped herself up with rounded eyes. "M-Minho?!" She gasped, hearing him groan in response. "Are you okay?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I'm fine," Minho murmured with a strained voice as he shifted in his spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy klunk, man," Frypan chuckled wryly. "That was some quick reaction speed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry," Eden muttered sheepishly, watching as Minho sat up with a grimace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's cool," He muttered with a small laugh. "You're actually pretty light."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"S-Still-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then Newt dropped into the building, stumbling over his bad leg in the landing process as he noticed Eden helping his friend to his feet. "What happened?" His brows furrowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, erm..." The raven-haired girl stuttered, trying to find the proper words to describe the incident when Jorge cut in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your friend had a good plan, hermano," He folded his arms over his chest, casting Eden an almost-teasing smile. "Terrible execution, though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry..." She lowered her gaze guiltily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teresa was the next to fall into the security of the building, the sudden loss of momentum causing her to bump into Newt, who quickly stabilized her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on, come on," Leaning over the large opening, Jorge peered back anxiously at the facility they had just abandoned. "Where are they?" He murmured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thomas and Brenda?" Teresa asked, receiving a small nod in response. "Brenda suddenly ran off, saying she forgot something," She informed the group. "Thomas went after her."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge's eyes narrowed for a moment before widening as a sense of realization washed over him. "Of course," His voice trailed off. "George."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris cocked his head to the side. "George?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not important," Brushing off the topic, Jorge backed away from the opening in the wall. "Come on, we gotta get you kids outta here," He motioned for them to follow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait, what?" Minho was quick to protest, trailing Jorge's steps in disbelief. "What are you talking about? Thomas and that girl are still in there!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man shook his head. "They won't have enough time. The song is about to end."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The song?" Frypan raised an eyebrow. "You mean that cheesy as hell jazz tune?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Walkin' after Midnight," Glaring over his shoulder, Jorge corrected in annoyance. "It's a classic."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Walking after Tonight, whatever," Minho waved it off. "What does a song have to do with-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of an enormous explosion rumbled the very core of the earth itself. They whipped their heads around in alarm, just in time to feel a wave of heat bake their faces. They watched as a fist of smoke and dust erupted from the compound, shattering windows as a ball of black and orange flames drove into the night sky, spreading the incandescent radioactive gas in all directions of the Scorch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my god!" Eden clasped her hands to her mouth in horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What the shuck is happening?!" Frypan exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge rolled his eyes at the group's gaping reactions. "Like I said, the song just ended," He said, approaching a set of metal stairs leading further down the ruined building. "Now we gotta get going, come on!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you talking about?!" Newt stared at the man in disbelief, looking as if he was about to charge and tackle him to the ground if he didn't have to hold Minho back from doing just that. "Tommy's not here! We just left him to die!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge brought a hand to his hip. "Your friend isn't dead yet, hermano," He spoke calmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, not dead," Minho scoffed. "We just watched him get blown into a piece of burnt bacon! There's no way he's dead at all!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge heaved a sigh, mentally noting how much whinier these kids were in comparison to Brenda. "Look, I don't know about your little friend, but Brenda is a smart and resourceful girl. She would've definitely gotten him to the underground passage in time," He then pointed at the group. "Right now, all you kids need to worry about is getting yourselves outta here. I don't know how many soldiers WICKED brought with them. Still, I can sure as hell guarantee this is gonna be the next building they infiltrate," He paused, dark eyes scanning across the teens who only continued to exchange skeptical glances with each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I believe in Brenda," He said with a stern expression. "I believe that she made it out of that building just fine. Do you kids trust your friend?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden looked to Newt, watching as he pursed his lips together in thought. Everyone else also remained silent, as if they had all come to a unanimous agreement that the blond should be the one to decide their next course of action. Newt seemed to have noticed Eden's eyes locked on him because it didn't take long before he returned her gaze. His brows furrowed slightly as if asking for her opinion on the matter. Biting the inside of her cheeks, Eden slowly nodded her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright," Newt announced after a deep breath. "Let's go."</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. [Chapter 9] ✙ Professor Minho</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>[Chapter 9] ✙ </span>
    <b>Professor Minho</b>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, um," Aris managed between heavy pants as he followed Jorge and Minho down the sixth flight of stairs. "Where exactly are we going?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Zone A, hermano," The man replied. "If Brenda made it out, that's probably where she's taking your friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If they made it out," Minho emphasized. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge shot the Asian boy a glare before continuing. "When we first set up the warehouse, I told her that if we were ever separated, she needed to go find Marcus at a nearby settlement."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hold on," Teresa was the one to interrupt this time. "There are other settlements out here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Few and far between, but yes." Jorge nodded, casting the girl's icy blue eyes a swift glance. "The Solar Storms forced people into underground sewers and passageways. They made a couple of settlements here and there, but after the storm went over, most people came back up to the surface to re-established civilization. Some people stayed down there though, scared that another wave might hit," He scoffed. "Though I doubt they're still alive at this point."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Cranks," Jorge stated, mentally rolling his eyes at the abundance of questions these kids seemed to have. He must've been blessed by the gods if he'd been stuck with an uninquisitive and straightforward girl like Brenda for the past few years. "Last thing I've heard, those underground settlements were being overrun by Cranks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt was quick to put two and two together. "Wait, but isn't that where Tommy is right now?!" He asked, watching as Jorge hopped down three steps at once and landed on the bottom floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, you kids ask a lot of questions," He complained, raising a leg to kick down the disfigured door of the building, revealing two WICKED soldiers standing behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, shit!" Minho hissed, nearly crashing into the Hispanic man as he followed his motions and leapt down the set of stairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Freeze!" One of the men shouted, aiming the electric gun in their direction. "Don't- agh!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could finish his sentence, Jorge had already whipped out what seemed like a revolver from his back pocket and shot both soldiers dead at point-blank range. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden covered her ears, recoiling slightly as the ringing gunshot echoed in her ears. She watched as Jorge opened the chamber of his revolver, checking the bullets that remained within before huffing out a breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Four out of six left, not bad," She heard him mutter before stepping over the soldiers' slackened bodies. "Come on, let's move!" He ushered them out. "No time for dilly-dallying, we've got a long way to go if you kids wanna make it in time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Casting the soldiers one last glance, Minho proceeded to effortlessly hop over them and dashed out into the Scorch, still cloaked in the darkness of the night. Aris was next, followed closely by Frypan, Teresa and Newt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden was last. As she gingerly stepped over the groaning men, she quickened her pace to keep up with the rest of the group when a light thump from behind caught her attention. She peeked over her shoulder, noticing that one of the soldiers had rolled onto his stomach. He slowly took off his mask with trembling hands, revealing a pair of brown eyes drenched in hatred and disdain. A trail of blood dribbled down his chin as he struggled to prop himself up, a string of incoherent mumblings escaped his lips. Though Eden couldn't understand much of what he said, from what she could gather, he was cursing and damning them to eternal hell for what they had done to both him and WICKED. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a pained expression, Eden shifted her gaze away to stare straight ahead. She had always hated seeing people in pain, even more so after Marie's passing. But she knew that there was one fundamental difference between her dear friend and the man behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," She murmured, hand tightening into a fist before her chest. "But if you want to blame someone, blame yourself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, she took off to catch up with the others.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Something on your mind?" Following Jorge at the front of the group as he led his way through another abandoned, half-buried city, Aris leaned in to ask with a whisper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh?" Jolting out of her train of thought, Eden glanced up at her fellow Glenner with a dazed look. She stilled for a moment, eyes flickering to a contemplative downcast. "A little..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, what's up?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was just thinking about WICKED," She confessed, her shoulders tensing a little as the name of that horrid organization escaped her throat. "Back at Jorge's place, Janson called us 'the hope of a cure,' and that got me thinking," She spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "We were waiting in that facility to be drained, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris nodded, his grey eyes glazing over for a moment as Rachel undoubtedly came to mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then I was wondering, why wasn't I taken?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What...?" The words barely got past Aris's throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing how bad that sound, Eden snapped her head up, hurrying to justify herself. "O-Of course, I'm grateful that you and the others were willing to include me in your escape and all. But I just..." She averted her gaze to the side. "I don't understand why I was left behind alongside you," She said, pausing to take a deep breath. "Think about this logically, Aris. Other than Harriet and Sonya, everyone, even Rachel, got taken away within the first three days we were at that place. What made me, of all people, special enough to be spared like this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, the same could be said about me!" Aris was quick to retort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Eden gently shook her head. "It's different with you, and you know it," She turned to look over her shoulder, sneaking a glance at Teresa, who walked alongside a conversing Newt, Minho, and Frypan with an indecipherable expression. "WICKED kept Teresa in a separate medical room with 24/7 supervision. Through that, we can assume they had other plans for the last person sent up through the Cube, which just so happens to be the opposite gender from the rest of those in their Maze. But for me," Her eyes shifted to her feet. "I'm just another random subject in the experiment. There's nothing about me that's worth keeping around for."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris pressed his lips together. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was smart enough to understand what Eden said had merit. There was absolutely no reason for WICKED to keep her alive. She wasn't particularly fast, nor was she particularly strong, and she certainly wasn't particularly brave. Possibly her only notable point was her exceptional intelligence and knowledge in medicine. Even so, her intelligence could easily be overshadowed by Rachel's resourcefulness and quick-thinking. And yet, Rachel was still taken away to be drained - the first in fact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Eden remained behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe..." Eden spoke up again, her dark brown eyes hazed over with a brewing storm of guilt. "Maybe it's Rachel who was meant to be standing here now, and I was supposed to be taken and drained-" Her words came to an abrupt halt when she felt Aris suddenly grab her hand. "Aris?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't say that," The boy murmured, shooting the raven-haired girl a pleading gaze. "Look, I don't know why you were left behind, and the truth of the matter is that we may never know. But what I do know is that Rachel or not, I'm just glad someone stayed by me," His grip tightening ever-so-slightly. "So please, don't say something so ridiculous ever again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden's eyes grew wide for a moment before crinkling. While his words couldn't provide any answers to the many burning questions that seared itself into the depths of her mind, they were just enough to momentarily lift the darkened clouds that continuously swirled over the sea of her mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her lips parted, about to respond to his sincere words when she felt something get caught in the base of her throat. Leaning forward, she broke into a series of coughs that resounded from her chest's upper cavity, alerting the others as Aris reached out to stabilize her with a look of concern painted on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you okay?" He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Eden nodded, though her raspy voice didn't lessen the group's worry in the slightest. She noticed several pairs of eyes glued to her from the Gladers behind, watching her with an isolating sense of caution. "I-I don't have the virus, I promise!" She assured nervously. "I haven't been bitten, or scratched, or spat on or anything!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Relax, kids," Jorge couldn't help but chuckle a little at Eden's panicked babbling. "If she were really infected, she'd have symptoms that are much worse than a cough or two. If I had to guess," He peered over his shoulder at the girl, making a note of her lack of a scarf. "Inhaled too much sand?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden nodded furiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But we already gave her some water, why isn't it getting any better?" Frypan pointed out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You think a little water's gonna help with that?" Interrupting Eden's attempt at an explanation, Jorge threw his head back in a jeering laugh. "She needs warm water with at least a pinch of salt, hermano. Her throat's probably infected."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt raised an eyebrow at the man's backside. "How do you know?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stuff like that happens to all the time to people runnin' around the Scorch without something to cover their nose or mouth," He shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. Worst-case scenario, she gets a nasty fever and collapses."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait, what?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Best course of action is for her to get some rest," Ignoring the blond's sudden outburst, Jorge continued as he trekked through the barren cityscape. "This stuff always get better after some saltwater and a good night's of sleep, but-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"-We can't afford to slow down right now," Teresa finished off thoughtfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Exactly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden blinked, noticing the group's atmosphere grow heavy as they contemplated what to do next. "H-Hold on! There's no need to slow down at all," She stammered, frantically waving her hands in denial. "I'm perfectly fine, so please don't worry about-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This isn't up for debate," Newt interjected sternly. "You need to get some rest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I agree," Frypan nodded. "Of all the people here, you're the one that can't be outta commission."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But..." Eden's brows furrowed. "I don't want to become a burden to everyone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then how 'bout this?" Out of seemingly nowhere, Minho appeared next to Aris and Eden and threw his arm around the latter with a nonchalant hum. "We'll leave her at the back of the group, so she can keep up at her own pace."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All by herself?" Casting the boy a judgemental look, Aris questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho shook his head. "Of course not," He pointed at himself with a cheeky grin. "I'll stay in the back with her."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden flinched, a look of horror momentarily crossing her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>And so, trailing behind the rest of the group, Eden walked alongside Minho as they made their way through the ruined city's uneven terrain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris and Newt each attempted to make their case as to why they should accompany the Medic instead. But once Minho pointed out that if Jorge's 'worst-case scenario' were to come true, neither of them would have the strength nor was in the right condition to be carrying someone else alone, they both backed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So far, the walk had been entirely silent between them, only filled by the faint chatterings from the others at the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden was almost certain that peace was severely out of character for someone like Minho, which made the entire situation that much scarier. It reminded her of how afraid she was of Beth's sudden emotional outbursts when the Builder first arrived in the Glen. Marie would explain to her that what made people like Beth scary, wasn't the fact that she would get angry, but it was the uncertainty of when she would lose control over her emotions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden feared uncertainty. And at least to her, Minho was still a huge, uncertain variable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were many times when she felt as if the thick silence would swallow her whole, especially on an inky night devoid of even moonlight or stars. But the faint traces of sunlight creeping up on the horizon was what kept her together, suggesting that there was still light at the end of whatever tunnel she had found herself in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Man, this city's really shucked up, huh?" Minho mumbled out of the blue, just loud enough for Eden to hear him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh? O-Oh, yes!" She blurted out louder than she would've liked, awkwardly fidgeting with her hands as she contemplated what to say next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she supposed to continue the conversation? Would it be strange? Well, she already kinda shut it down with her dry and dead-end response. Then should she try to bring something else up? Or would that be even stranger? He did start the conversation last time, so perhaps it'd only be fair for her to be the one to strike up the next one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As those numerous questions circled through her brain, her mouth uttered the first thing that came to mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are you here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Minho shot her a weird look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Realizing how bad and ungrateful that sounded, Eden scrambled to explain herself with her hoarse voice. "It's just, well..." She peered up at him, briefly meeting his curious gaze before looking away. "I thought you didn't trust me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't," He confirmed bluntly, causing Eden's body to stiffen out of reflex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then, why-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just because I don't trust you doesn't mean I'm not gonna help you," Studying the girl's dumbfounded expression, Minho couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "Jeez doc, how bad do you think I am?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I-It's not that..." Eden pressed her lips together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching as she struggled to gather her thoughts and formulate a proper response, Minho heaved a sigh. "Look, I'll give it to you straight," He nudged his chin towards the group a few feet in front of them. "I know those soft-hearted shanks trust people way too easily. But for me, at least, trust is something that needs to be earned." He said, shifting his gaze straight ahead as he took in the rubble that began to grow more visible in the rising traces of daylight. "We've been played by WICKED, twice. Three now, if you count that bearded freak back at Jorge's warehouse. And I can't be the only one to say that this whole betrayal thing is startin' to get pretty annoying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've known Newt for... about as long as I can remember, for whatever that's worth. And I've known Fry since the day he came up in the Box. Thomas and Teresa were both pretty big-shot players in our escape from the Maze, so I know those guys would never betray us. But," He paused for a moment, turning to look back at Eden. "You and Aris, on the other hand. We don't know who you are or where you stand in this whole thing. For all we know, you could just be another WICKED spy waitin' for your chance to stab us when we're down," He looked away. "But so far, I think you're alright," He added after a moment of thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden blinked, taking the extra second to process his words before whipping her head around to stare at him. "Huh?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I said that you've been alright so far."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taken aback by his judgement, the raven-haired girl could only gape. "W-Why would you say that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Minho looked over at her with a teasing grin. "Don't want me to trust you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, it's not that," Eden shook her head. "I just don't understand what changed your mind."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huffing, Minho awkwardly reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Fry told me what happened. Looks like I owe you for saving my shuckin' butt from going to hell after that lightning strike," He glanced towards her. "So, thanks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden's eyes widened slightly. "Of course," She said. "It's my job to assist people at a time in need. Besides, you helped me too, remember? When I fell from the zipline, you were the one to jump in and catch me," She pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't just gonna let you faceplant like that," Minho shrugged before clearing his throat. "My point is, you're cool in my book. Keep that up, and you'll earn my trust in no time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden hummed, a faint smile gracing her lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But of course, if you or Aris ever decide to double-cross us," Minho slammed his fist into an open palm, causing the girl to jolt in her place. "I'll punch you both square in the face, ya hear me?" He threatened, casting Eden a look to indicate that he was dead serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, of course!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Minho breathed out a small laugh and went back to surveying their 'shucked up' surroundings, as he put it, Eden turned to face forward. With her gaze glued to someone's backside a few feet ahead, she grew lost in thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With their conversation replaying fresh in her mind, Eden noticed that despite the last-minute threats he threw in, Minho had revealed, unintentionally or not, that what he really valued most was a person's loyalty. He loves each of his friends and wants to protect them from any unnecessary harm the unforgiving Scorch has thrown their way. So as long as she and Aris didn't try anything funny and remained truthful with him and the other Gladers, Minho wouldn't be such an uncertain figure \after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was great, because neither she nor Aris wouldn't ever dream of turning against their backs against them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then she noticed that the tall figure she had been staring at suddenly turned around, forcing her to lock eyes with a familiar hue of brown, the colour of copper against honey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It honestly took Eden a moment to register the fact that she had been caught staring as she felt her face begin to heat up. She was about to turn away in embarrassment only to notice Newt mouthing words to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'You good?'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden nodded, feeling her heart skip a beat when he smiled and turned back around. Pressing her hands to her cheeks, she began to draw out a shaky breath when Minho suddenly leaned in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, you and Newt, huh?" He mused by her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wha-?" Eden nearly jumped out of her skin, her heartrate palpitating from the sudden scare and what he was implying. "N-No, I mean, yes! I mean, well. It's not- erm..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho snickered at her frantic babbling, watching as her usually pale skin turn beet red as she tried to wiggle her way out her current situation. "It's too late, doc," He teased. "Your little crush on our Second-in-Command is as clear as day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of panic darted across Eden's dark brown eyes as she quickly averted her gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So?" Minho nudged her in the arm, urging her to continue like a nosy child. "What is it you like about that shank?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's very kind," Eden said, bashfully tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her reply. "Jeez, that makes me feel great about myself," He remarked in sarcasm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not that you aren't a nice person," Eden hurried to explain. "It's, well, erm..." She pressed her lips together as she twiddled with her thumbs. "You're... a little scary."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll take that as a compliment," Minho said before waving his hand with a light laugh. "But nah, I get it. I can't be everyone's type, or I'll have everyone in the world linin' up for a piece of me," He paused, thinking for a moment. "Still, I can't believe I'd lived to see the day when someone would have a school-girl crush on Newt of all people."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden pressed a finger to her lips, paranoid about the other overhearing their conversation. "It's not a school-girl crush!" She hushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then what would you call it then? Love?" He retorted, gagging slightly as he accentuated that last word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's just... a simple crush," Eden whispered as she snuck a glance up at the blond's backside, now properly bathed in the sunlight that had since risen half-way up the horizon. "But he must think I'm so weird, now that he caught me staring and all," She mumbled, burying her face in her hands as if she were trying to run from the wretched memory that wouldn't stop replaying itself in her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho rolled his eyes. "Oh, relax. He's like in your direct line of sight," He pointed out, using his hand to draw an imaginary line connecting her to Newt. "Where else are you gonna look? The shuckin' ground?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"To be fair, that is where I usually look."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Craning his neck, the Asian boy heaved a sigh towards the heavens above, taking a breather for his sanity to study the golden petals of sunlight that stretched outwards towards the vibrant blue sky before glancing back at Eden. "Alright. Looks like Professor Minho's here to save the day again. Lesson number one, don't stare down at the ground," Resting an elbow on her shoulder, he gently slapped the back of his hand against her chin as if to jerk it upwards. "You're not bad lookin', doc. So hold your head up high."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"R-Right, yes." Though she was confused over how she was once again roped into a lesson with the self-proclaimed 'Professor Minho,' Eden complied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lesson number two, be more confident in yourself. I don't know much about his preference in girls, but I do know that shank appreciates someone with a good head on their shoulders," He looked over at her for a brief moment before reaching up to ruffle her hair. "You've got already that, so just do your thing and use it with confidence!" He declared with a light snicker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Minho! You're gonna mess up my hair!" Eden protested. Though it wasn't that difficult to spot the slight smile that tugged at the girl's lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The shuck you're talkin' about?" Minho gave her a bemused look. "It's already a rat's nest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes rounding, Eden attempted smooth down her hair, only to find that he was right. It had been around three days since they've escaped the WICKED facility, meaning it's been three days since she's had a proper shower or even a hairbrush in the harsh conditions of the Scorch. While she understood she couldn't be picky over something as trivial as her hygienic conditions in a life or death situation, there was still a part of her that couldn't help but be a little self-conscious over her knotted hair and dirty appearance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh," She lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho narrowed his eyes. "Okay, lesson number three," He pointed at her. "Stop doing that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Doing what?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That whole apologizing thing," He elaborated with a mildly irritated sigh. "You say sorry way too much. Even when things aren't your fault."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right, I'm sorry-" Eden flinched when she spotted Minho's frown, quickly covering her mouth to prevent those forbidden words from slipping out of her mouth from a force of habit. "Erm, I mean. Yes… professor...?" Her gaze darted left and right, trying to find an alternative word to use while Minho simply pinched his nose bridge in exasperation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What'cha guys talkin' about back there?" Splitting off from the main group, Frypan suddenly popped into the conversation with a cheery grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A work in progress, that's what," Minho deadpanned at his friend before turning back at the raven-haired girl who lowered her head sheepishly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you mad?" She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not mad. Just disappointed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho facepalmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is that… music?" Frypan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's this? A party or somethin'?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Correct," Jorge nodded, acknowledging Minho's statement with a light chuckle. He had since brought both he and Eden back closer to the main group, instructing them to 'stick together as they entered the premise of another wasteland-of-a-city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Burnt cars, buildings with shattered windows, and cloth tents lined the streets as living, breathing people traversed through. Everyone seemed to be dressed in rags, some with weathered jackets and scarves at best while others simply roamed through the streets with nothing but the shirt on their backs. What terrified Eden the most, was how sunken in their faces were. They looked malnourished and frail, like a set of rickety bones wrapped in nothing but a thin layer of skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked as if the winds were to blow a little harder, they'd tip over and shatter like glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How can any one party under these circumstances?" Eden murmured, making brief eye-contact with a dazed child before looking away in a mixture of guilt and pity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is not any regular ol' party, hermana," The Hispanic man said, sparing a glance back at her and the others. "This is the party of the soon-to-be-Cranks."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt nearly choked on his own saliva. "I'm sorry, what?" He shot the man a guarded look. "What do you mean 'soon-to-be?'"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Exactly what it sounds like," Jorge shrugged. "The people who have been infected tend to gather here, intending on partying the last of their sanity away before becoming mindless cranks," He then nudged his chin towards a tall building in the distance, a long red banner labelled 'Zone A' flying from above. "And that building over there, that's their party venue."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris cocked his head to the side. "And what does this have to do with that friend of yours, Mason?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Marcus," Jorge corrected with a grumble. "Are you kids just that bad at remembering things?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho rolled his eyes. "Lucas, Barcus, Marcus, who cares? Just tell us what this crank party has to do with your friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge shook his head in frustration. "My friend, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Marcus</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a contact for the Right Arm," He explained as he motioned for the teens to follow him in a single-file line through a back alley. "His job was to draw in immune kids with his raging parties, round them up and smuggle them to whatever mountain camp the Right Arm is settled at," He glanced back at them. "From there, they'll take you kids to the Safe Haven, where the Flare and the Scorch will never reach you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's a place like that?" Teresa seemed skeptical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he rounded the corner back onto the main street, Jorge opened his mouth to respond only for his eyes to widen. "Hide!" He whisper-shouted, quickly dragging the person directly behind him - Aris back into the alleyway as the others immediately halted in their tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt's brows drew closer. "What's wrong?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"WICKED," The man uttered under his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling a chill rattle down her spine at the apparent hostility in his tone, Eden recoiled slightly. Though curiosity still managed to get the better of her as she peeked around the corner, inhaling sharply when the men dressed in all-black trooper armour came into view - the metallic electric gun in their hands, reflecting the bright beaming of the sun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are there WICKED guards in your friend's backyard?" Minho hissed, pressing his back against the wall of a half-melted building. "I thought he was supposed to be working with the Right Arm."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit," Not paying attention to Minho's complaining, Jorge cursed under his breath. "I didn't think those rumours would actually be true," He murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What rumours? What are you talking about, man?" Frypan questioned nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of replying, Jorge leaned outward once more only to inch back a little when he thought one had almost spotted him. He clenched his jaw, allowing his gaze to slowly sweep across at the armed soldiers until he found himself being drawn in by the muffled music reverberating within the Zone A building. His dark brown eyes brightened ever-so-slightly as an idea crossed his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Change of plans, hermanos," He said, snapping back around to face the teenagers. "We're gonna split up here."</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. [Chapter 10] ✙ Party of the Living Cranks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">[Chapter 10] ✙ <b>Party of the Living Cranks</b></span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>As far as she could remember, Eden had always hated loud noises.</p><p>Whenever Ximena would raise her voice at Lotte for pulling some unnecessary prank on a poor unsuspecting Glenner, whenever they’d hold bonfire parties near the Decision Tree, or whenever the thunder and lightning roared in the skies, Eden would always find herself either flinching up with tension or covering her hands over her ears from the loud noise. Even more so if she saw a person suddenly raise a hand over their head.</p><p>Marie would often question it, curious as to why her friend was so sensitive to practically every sound and movement anyone or anything made. But much to Eden’s dismay, she could never form a proper answer for the blonde.</p><p>She just did.</p><p>Eventually, Marie came up with her own theories as to why Eden was such a nervous wreck. And while she never shared her speculations on the matter, Eden would often hear her mumbling about how she’d ‘beat the klank outta anyone who had hurt her.’</p><p>Eden herself had considered getting exposure therapy if she somehow made it out of the maze, but she never imagined it’d be under... these extreme circumstances.</p><p>With the drumming beat of some low techno music hammering against her skull, she shifted her body to the side, barely brushing shoulders with a girl who wore too-much black eyeshadow as she swayed to the beat. Everyone at the party seemed to be on some kind of high, and Eden had little to no doubt that the strangely coloured drinks in their hands had everything to do with it.</p><p>She clasped her hands before her chest, vividly recalling Jorge’s words from barely an hour ago as he took their bags and snuck them into the Zone A building through a secret back entrance.</p><p>“I need to go look for Marcus. I heard rumours that he cut ties with the Right Arm and started making deals with WICKED instead, but at the time, I really didn’t wanna believe it. I should’ve known that son of a bitch would do anything for money.</p><p>“You kids need to head into that party and blend in. Those WICKED soldiers will probably leave you alone since you’re in Marcus’s domain anyways. Once you’re in, split up and start looking for your friend and Brenda. If my guesses are correct, they’re probably in there somewhere. After you find <em>both</em> of them, take the backdoor out and meet me on the second floor of the building. That’s where Marcus lives. Oh, and don’t drink anything. We don’t know what poison that jackass spiked his drinks with.”</p><p>If Eden were being completely honest, she saw a bit of merit in Marcus’s decision to side with WICKED. As terrible as it was for her and the others, it was important to remember that Marcus, much like the other soon-to-be Cranks that occupied the Zone A building, were just survivors of the terrifying Solar Storms that ravaged the earth. They had little to no power in their current circumstances, let alone the environment. And from what they’ve seen so far, WICKED was clearly the leading organization in this post-apocalyptic society with their advanced mode of transportation and technology; playing their side of the game would surely provide many more apparent benefits than working with some unknown rebellion group. It would be near impossible for any sane person to choose not to side with WICKED.</p><p>But to Eden, Aris and the Gladers, WICKED symbolized three-years of pain and suffering, the loss of several innocent lives, and the mark of certain death.</p><p>Eden shook her head, swiftly drawing her mind out of such thoughts. There was no way she’d accept death that easily. There were still things she wanted to- No, needed to accomplish.</p><p>She promised.</p><p>With a renewed sense of conviction, she inhaled a sharp breath and continued her search through the facility. Without her backpack or jacket, she felt a little uncomfortable and exposed to the infected, but she did her best to seem confident enough so that she’d blend in with the crowd.</p><p>Averting her gaze away from a couple sloppily making out in the corner, Eden caught sight of a small room to her right that seemed rowdier than the rest of the facility. Thinking that Thomas and Brenda might be in there, she weaved through the crowd and gingerly pushed aside the beaded curtains only to jump back at the sound of a guttural roar.</p><p>A fully-turned Crank stood at the centre of the room, chained-up and held back by its arms as the surrounded crowd cheered with ecstasy. They watched as a man wearing a chest pack taunted the creature, circling it just outside its range before pulling out a gun and putting the mindless creature out of its misery.</p><p>Eden’s eyes sewed shut as her hands flew to her mouth, barely holding back a whimper that threatened to escape her throat. She quickly turned on her heel, attempting to outrun her racing heart after witnessing that horrific image only to collide head-first into the bare chest of a stranger.</p><p>“Well, what do we have here?” She peered up, briefly making eye contact with a young man with dark hair and blood-shot eyes. “Are you lost, baby girl?”</p><p>Eden wrinkled her nose at the repulsive scent the man emitted. “N-No, I’m okay,” Keeping one hand over her nose and mouth, she used the other to push against the man’s chest, making a conscious effort to shove him away only for his grip to tighten around her waist.</p><p>“Really?” He purred, running a hand up and down her sides with a dazed-out look. “You look like you’re about to cry, which is understandable.”</p><p>“I’m alright, really.”</p><p>Ignoring her words of assurance, the man continued. “Being a Crank is scary,” He hummed, firmly pulling her further into the crowd of dancing people. “But this party here, it’s our last chance to live like we want, so you mine as well enjoy it, right?” He turned to her with a crooked grin. “So whaddya say, baby girl? Wanna be my date? I’ll show you how to have a good time.”</p><p>Eden’s brows furrowed as she contemplated on what to do. In the man’s drugged-up state, she could probably shove him away and make a run for it, but there was a part of her that really didn’t want to hurt a sick, much less dying individual. And by doing so, she ran the risk of causing a considerable amount of commotion, which very much didn’t match-up with Jorge’s instructions on blend-in.</p><p>And of course, there was always the possibility of being scratched or bitten.</p><p>Just as she began considering the option of ‘playing along and sneaking away when given the chance,’ a familiar voice halted her train of thought.</p><p>“Sorry to break it to you, mate. But she’s already got one.”</p><p>Eden spun around, eyes widening when she spotted Newt standing not far behind her with a hardened gaze. He paced forward, swiftly wrapping an arm around the Asian girl’s shoulder while the other swatted at the man’s clammy hands like it was an irritating fly.</p><p>Once again, Eden felt her cheeks warm up as she studied at the side of his face.</p><p>“Well, well, aren’t you a pretty boy?” The ill man mused. “Are you her boyfriend or something?” He questioned.</p><p>“Huh?! N-No, it’s nothing like-”</p><p>“Yeah, I am,” Newt replied, cutting off her honest response as he pulled her closer against himself. “You got a problem with that?”</p><p>Eden’s dark brown eyes rounded with surprise.</p><p>“No, not at all,” The man scoffed, raising his hands in a defensive position as he took a step back. “I just can’t really see it. You two together that is,” He chuckled, menacing gaze sweeping across the two with the hint of skepticism. “Prove it,” He finally said after a moment of thought.</p><p>“W-What?” Eden stuttered.</p><p>“Go on, don’t be shy,” He opened his palms as if offering the two space for a grand performance. “I’m always down for a display of passionate young love.”</p><p>Eden pressed her lips together. The man didn’t believe them; it was obvious. But before she could think too much on how they’d wiggle their way out of their situation, a gentle hand on her forearm had her mind going blank.</p><p>Newt pulled her close, circling both arms around her waist as his eyes reflected nothing but her astounded expression etched onto her features. He leaned in close, close enough that their foreheads were touching as Eden to recoil out of instinct.</p><p>“Just… play along, alright?” He whispered, his hand quivering ever-so-slightly as he reached up to brush a strand of loose hair out of her face.</p><p>Holding back the urge to gasp for air, Eden nodded. She could feel the man’s gaze digging into her, but what seemed much more concerning was how quickly her heart was racing at the edge of her throat. It was as if, at any moment, it would lunge out and take off on its own.</p><p>Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Newt gingerly presses his lips to her.</p><p>The kiss was soft and chaste, nothing like the show-stopping, firework sparking ones from the stories. But to Eden, it was more than enough. Newt treated her like glass, ghosting over her lips as if she would break and shatter upon any unnecessary pressure. And she made sure to reciprocated his motions by gently wrapping her arms around his neck.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, they pulled apart. “Is he gone?” Newt asked in a whisper, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers as he attempted to regulate his breathing.</p><p>Eden didn’t respond. Instead, she simply stared at him with a wide-eyed expression as if she was still attempting to process what had just happened.</p><p>“Um… Eden?”</p><p>“H-Huh? Oh, right!” Feeling a sudden surge of blood rise to her cheeks, Eden peeked over his shoulder to see that the man had since disappeared into the crowd of party-goers. “Y-Yeah, he’s done- I mean, gone,” She stammered, briefly making eye contact with the blond before averting her gaze away.</p><p>Any more and the entire Scorch was going to hear how loud and erratic her heartbeat was.</p><p>“Right, good,” Newt inhaled a shaky breath as he slowly backed away. “Let’s uhh… get outta this area,” He suggested. “Just in case he comes back.”</p><p>Eden nodded wordlessly.</p><p>Taking her head, Newt began leading Eden out of the dance floor and towards a quieter part of the building.</p><p>Despite being thrown back and forth between the overflowing crowd, Eden found herself unable to concentrate in the slightest. As one hand focused on grasping hold Newt’s so they wouldn’t be separated again, the other could only reach up to touch her lips as that previous little gesture looped through her mind like a broken film reel.</p><p>What was that?! Did that even count as a first kiss? What was she supposed to say now? Was she the only one freaking out like this? Should she bring it up? But he did it just to help her out of a sticky situation. So what if he just wanted to ignore it? It’s just a kiss, right? A kiss isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just a simple act of osculation; in which a chemical reaction takes place in the brain that releases a bunch of hormones called oxytocin, and-</p><p>“Um, sorry ‘bout that,” Before she knew it, they had already made their way out of the sea of people as they now stood in a comparatively less crowded corner of the party. “I had to do it so he would... you know,” He murmured, making a bunch of barely coherent gestures towards the dance floor.</p><p>Taken aback by the uncharacteristic amount of nerves in his tone, Eden quickly shook her head. “N-No, it’s fine,” She assured, habitually reaching up to cup her palms against her burning face. “I understand.”</p><p>“Still, that was… uhh…” Newt stammered as he shuffled in his spot. As he moved in and out of a small ray of light that shone through the crooked ceiling of the building, Eden managed to catch sight of his cheeks, noticing that they were also tinged a bright shade of red. “Was that your first…?”</p><p>She nodded, feeling her face flare up even more if that were possible. “What about you?”</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Newt huffed. “Well, I hope it wasn’t too bad of an experience,” He joked.</p><p>“I… I didn’t mind it.”</p><p>Newt looked to her, eyes round.</p><p>“N-Not like that!” As she finally processed what she had managed to blurt out, Eden immediately began to panic, waving her hands frantically as she attempted to back paddle the conversation. “I meant it like… Well, erm, the circumstances weren’t ideal, but the... the kiss itself was fine. Like it felt good, you did a good job. Oh, but I wasn’t expecting it to be bad or anything, but… But like...” Realizing that she had been doing nothing but babbling nonsense, she quickly turned away and buried her face in her hands with a muffled apology.</p><p>Upon seeing her practically collapse into a blithering mess, Newt couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, causing Eden to nearly jump out of her skin from embarrassment.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” She squeaked, still too afraid to lift her face and meet his gaze. “You must think I’m weird, or creepy, or-”</p><p>“Hey, hey, it’s fine, really,” Before she could get too ahead of herself with assumptions, Newt cut her off with another laugh. “I’m just kinda glad to know I wasn’t the only one that felt nervous.”</p><p>Eden flinched. Slowly peeling her hands away from her face, she peeked over her shoulder at the blond. “You were nervous?” She asked in a slight mixture of astonishment and disbelief.</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” He affirmed. “I mean I’ve never done that before, as far as I can remember. Granted, that only means three years, but… But it was just to get that creep to lay off, right?” He asked, casting Eden an indecipherable look.</p><p>Her eyes grew wide. “Right,” She said after a moment of stillness. “Right, of course,” She clasped her hands before her chest. “Thank you very much.”</p><p>Newt’s jaw clenched slightly at her response, allowing a small silence to draw out between them before speaking again. “So, any news on Tommy?”</p><p>“I haven’t seen him nor Brenda,” Eden informed, her brows furrowing in distress and worry. Is Jorge 100% sure they’re in here?”</p><p>“We can only keep looking,” Reaching up to ruffle his hair, Newt heaved a sigh as he glanced around at the sea of people the spanned out before them. “Look, I know Jorge said to spread out and cover more ground. But just… Stay where I can see you, okay? And try not to get involved with the crowd unless you see them in there.”</p><p>Eden nodded in understanding, mentally scolding herself as she felt her face grew warm once again.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>She met his gaze. And without fail, just as the many times before, they’d both look away for a few seconds before connecting once more.</p><p>Eden knew better. She was supposed to be focused on the task at hand - locating Thomas and Brenda through the astronomical amount of people the flooded the Zone A building. And she had been doing just that, albeit sticking to the outskirts of the dance floor to avoid a similar run-in with another drunken or drugged up soon-to-be Crank. But there was a part of her that kept winning out against the logical side of her brain, drowning out her rationale with the thumping music that blasted through her ears. It urged her to inch towards him, to get a closer look. To try and spot his face whenever she scanned the room in search of their missing comrades. And to even find some poor excuse to bump into or talk to him.</p><p>Was this what it felt like to have a crush?</p><p>Whenever she and Marie would discuss potential romances once they escaped the Maze, the blonde would always describe it as something thrilling and exciting. But…</p><p>
  <em>‘But it was just to get that creep to lay off, right?’</em>
</p><p>She didn’t realize a crush could be this nerve-wracking, and for the lack of a better term, soul-crushing.</p><p>Eden heaved a sigh.</p><p>The smarter half of her knew she shouldn’t have expected anything from that encounter. After all, they had only met a mere three and a half days ago at best. Was it even possible for someone to develop feelings for another within that short amount of time? Eden herself had no way of knowing, seeing as she had little to no frame of reference when it came to these things, with Aris and Rachel being the only romantic-ish relationship that came to mind. But they seemed to be in a different boat entirely, seeing as they seemed to share a form of connection that began way back before their first meeting in the Maze.</p><p>Tucking a lock of hair behind her ears, Eden skimmed the crowd again only to catch sight of Newt.</p><p>However, this time he wasn’t looking back at her.</p><p>Instead, he was standing by the bar - a place Eden had made a conscious effort to avoid, and seemed to be in the midst of a conversation with a blonde woman wearing a green dress. He seemed troubled, almost distressed. And upon taking a closer look, it was easy to see why.</p><p>Wrapped in the woman’s thin and lavishly decorated fingers - was a glass cup filled to the brim with that odd, greenish-brown liquid. She kept nudging the glass in his direction, urging the blond to drink it as a slightly unhinged smile curled upon her lips.</p><p>Eden knew she had to do something. From where she stood, Newt resembled that of a cornered dog, with his gaze continuously flickering between the woman and the glass. He looked as if he were about to reach out and accept the questionable drink at any moment, all for the sake of ‘blending in.’</p><p>She needed to step in and diffuse the situation, just as he did for her.</p><p>But how?</p><p>Unlike Newt, she wasn’t nearly as good as talking to people, much less asserting herself into a conversation without making a huge commotion like she did back at Jorge’s warehouse. If only she had a point of reference-</p><p>Her eyes widened.</p><p><em>Thinking back on it…</em> She rested a hand against her chin. <em>Whenever someone talked bad about me in the Glen, Marie would always intervene before their comments got too out of hand. If I remember correctly, what she did was…</em></p><p>Sucking in a harsh breath to steel her nerves, Eden puffed out her chest and brisked towards the bar.</p><p>“Newt~!” With a sing-song voice, she latched herself onto the blond’s arm with a light giggle. Her pitch was a little high and unnatural, but she continued the act nevertheless. “So this is where you’ve been. I was looking all over for you~.”</p><p>“Eden?” New’s eyes were practically following out of its sockets, completely taken aback by the raven-haired girl’s… odd behaviour.</p><p>“Come on! Let’s go dance,” Ignoring his look of astonishment and concern, Eden began her clumsy attempt to drag him away only for the woman to stop them.</p><p>“Not so fast, handsome,” She hummed, snaking a hand up Newt’s other arm to rest on his shoulder. “I made this drink specially for you. Shouldn’t you at least have a little sip?” She batted her eyelashes, gently wiggling the drink in front of the blond’s face.</p><p>Newt’s jaw visibly clenched. He peered down, briefly exchanged a glance with Eden. One she immediately recognized as ‘I’m going to take it.’</p><p>She flinched.</p><p>Before Newt could even reach out to take the cup, Eden moved quicker. Lunging forth, she snatched it out of the woman’s hand in one swift motion, accidentally spilling some of its contents as it landed on the ground with a barely audible splash.</p><p>“H-He’s already had a lot to drink,” She interjected, giving the woman the best smile she could muster at the moment, hoping that it would somehow mask the quivering in her voice. “I’ll take this one.” Then, without another word, she brought the cup to her lips and threw her head back.</p><p>Eden did her best not to cringe as the gasoline-scented fluid trickled down her inflamed throat, leaving a fire-like burn in its wake. It had a malty taste, thick and somewhat creamy. After making sure to finish every last drop, she leaned forward to shove the glass back into the woman’s hands. She could feel Newt’s gaze on her, a look of horror and disbelief painted across his face. But that didn’t matter right now.</p><p>“Thank you very much. That was delicious,” She said, finding that her voice was a little raspier thanks to the keen burn that lodged itself into the back of her throat. Nevertheless, she grabbed onto Newt’s arm once more and began dragging him away from the bar. “We’ll be on our way.”</p><p>
  <em>I… I actually did it!</em>
</p><p>As they walked away from the woman, those words seemed to be the only thing that went through Eden’s head in her chaotic state of mind. Despite it being the most embarrassing performance she had ever put on in her entire life, she still couldn’t believe she had actually managed to pull it off, much less with that much success.</p><p>But her moment of celebration was soon cut short as she felt Newt grab both her shoulders, spinning her around to face him.</p><p>“Did you drink it?” He shouted over the blasting music. “Did you actually drink the bloody thing?!”</p><p>“H-Huh?” Eden blinked a few times, somewhat confused by his outburst of urgency and emotion. “S-Sorry, I had to-”</p><p>“Spit it out,” Newt firmly shook her by shoulders, as if he were trying to force the liquid out that way. “Spit it out right now! Hurry!”</p><p>Eden blinked, subconsciously taking note of how close their faces were. “I-I can’t,” She murmured. “I already swallowed it.”</p><p>“Why would you-” His breath grew ragged as he studied her, searching for any signs of distress. “Eden, what if that drink was poisoned?!”</p><p>“It’s alright, I already considered that possibility,” She assured bluntly, earning a justifiably confused look from the blond as she took a small step back. “My body actually has a very high tolerance against various drugs and poisons,” She explained, pressing a hand against her chest with a small smile. “Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m completely immune to its effects. It just means they’d have a lesser effect on me compared to other people. But that means it’d still be better if I drank it instead, right?”</p><p>Newt’s brows knitted together. He opened his mouth, about to argue against that logic when-</p><p>“Thomas!”</p><p>Both of them turned their heads towards the sound of that voice, frantically searching for its source when Newt managed to catch a glimpse of Teresa crouching over a limp body on the ground.</p><p>“Teresa!” He called out, Eden following close behind with a hand clasped before her chest.</p><p>Fighting through the crowd, they quickly realized upon arrival that the body curled onto his side was none other than Thomas himself.</p><p>“What the…” The blond muttered.</p><p>“Shuck, man,” Minho was the next to show up, peering down at Thomas’s unconscious figure with his nose scrunched. “What happened to <em>him</em>?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Teresa shook her head, pulling the boy over so he could rest his head on her knees. “He was already like this when I found him.”</p><p>“Here, let me take a look,” Eden dropped her knees, leaning over to see if she could find anything immediately note-worthy.</p><p>“Well, that’s one down,” Minho huffed, running a hand through his hair. “Anyone find the girl?”</p><p>“You were sayin’?” Frypan cleared his throat, squeezing past a dancing couple with Brenda’s arm slung over his shoulder. The shorter girl looked completely out of it, uttering barely coherent words as she stumbled around with Frypan’s support.</p><p>“I… I can’t believe he...” Her voice trailed off as she gave a breathy chuckle. “Just because I’m not ‘her.’ Ridiculous…”</p><p>“Look who I found wandering around,” The stocky boy announced, gesturing Brenda.</p><p>“Hey, guys. I saw Jorge- Woah,” Emerging from another body of people, Aris’s eyes widened at the scene before him. “What happened?”</p><p>“I can’t tell,” Eden said, pulling her hand back from checking Thomas’s pulse. “His pulse is unstable, but I can’t see anything. It’s too dark in here,” She informed, looking up towards the boys.</p><p>“Do you think they drank the weird klunk everyone else is drinking?” Minho suggested.</p><p>Newt cast a glance towards Eden before sighing. “Whatever it is, let’s just get them out of here.”</p><p>“Oh, about that,” Swiftly recomposing himself, Aris piped up once again. “I ran into Jorge a little earlier. He was wandering around the backroom where we came from,” He paused for a moment, hesitating slightly before continuing. “Last thing I saw, he was dragging some guy in a purple suit up the stairs.”</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>As they ascended the staircase, the boys continued to alternate between who was carrying Thomas and Brenda while Teresa and Eden lagged behind, ready to catch or support anyone if they were to miss a step on the treacherous hike.</p><p>However, Eden was feeling a little… off.</p><p>With every step she took, her entire world seemed to shift a little. Her mouth and tongue felt numb, while a soothing warmth and calmness continued to spread throughout her body since ingesting that strange liquid. Her consciousness was alert yet tired - a rather odd combination.</p><p>Lifting her leg, she attempted to take the next step upwards only for her muscles to twitch out. Her foot slipped, and her body jerked backwards; the results would’ve been fatal if someone hadn’t grabbed her by the arm in time, pulling her upright.</p><p>“Hey,” It was Teresa. “Are you okay?”</p><p>It took Eden a few moments to process the question. “H-Huh? No, I’m alright,” She murmured feebly. “Sorry- I mean, thank you. I-I don’t know what I was thinking.”</p><p>Teresa’s icy blue eyes narrowed slightly, seeming especially concerned with the raven-haired girl’s condition. Her speech was slurring and her steps had been growing increasingly unstable. She shifted her attention towards the boys who had also stopped in their tracks, noting that their former Second-in-Command seemed especially on edge.</p><p>Newt pressed his lips together. “Hey, Teresa. Do you mind giving her a hand?” He requested, trying to nudge his chin toward Eden while holding onto Brenda by the arm.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Eden blinked, watching as Teresa wrapped an arm around her shoulder, helping her gain a better footing before moving up. She didn’t fight it. She knew better than to. But her mind couldn’t help but kick into high gear as she wondered what sort of contents were in that drink for <em>her</em> of all people to be reacting this way.</p><p>Barely managing to climb his way up with Thomas over his shoulder, Minho let out a huge sigh of relief as he slumped against the wall for support. “Wow,” He whistled. “Not gonna lie, this guy smells like shit right now.”</p><p>Frypan raised an eyebrow. “Well, what did you expect he was gonna smell like? Fried chicken?”</p><p>“I was hoping so,” The Asian boy shrugged, standing straight once more. “He already smells like fried plastic anyways, so fried chicken can’t be too far of a stretch.”</p><p>“Just keep movin’,” Newt grumbled from behind.</p><p>As they stumbled down the messy and faintly Victorian-style hallway, the group soon found a half-open door at the very end. Thinking this is where they were supposed to go, Frypan carefully pushed it open.</p><p>Drawn by the sound of a creek, Jorge turned his head, his face brightening slightly when he spotted the familiar faces that filed in. “There you are,” He hummed, resting a hand on his hip. “Took you kids long enough.”</p><p>Minho rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sorry if it took a while to find two people in a million,” He snarked.</p><p>The Hispanic man chuckled. He opened his mouth, about to say something when his face suddenly fell as he noticed Brenda slumped between Newt and Aris, an arm hooked over each of their shoulders for support.</p><p>“Brenda!” He rushed over, immediately taking the sleeping girl into his arms before glancing up at Thomas - who was also passed-out and being carried by Frypan and Minho. “What happened to them?”</p><p>“We don’t know,” Aris shook his head. “They were already like this when we found them,” He explained.</p><p>“Ah, so that <em>was</em> Brenda,” An unfamiliar voice sounded from further within the room, surprising the teens as they collectively peered around Jorge, finding a man that perfectly matched Aris’s description from earlier.</p><p>Dressed in a purple suit and a lot of gold jewelry, the man was tied to a chair at the centre of the Victorian-style lounge. His skin was pale and his eyes were sunken in, lined with an excessive amount of eyeliner that made even the pandas look more awake.</p><p>“She looks so grown up, I almost didn’t recognize her,” He sputtered words past his bloodied lip, presumably a fist blow from Jorge when he knocked him out. “She and that boy drank some of the Fire Juice I offered. Price of Admission.”</p><p>“Fire Juice?” Eden repeated in thought.</p><p>“What the hell was in that thing, Marcus?” Jorge spat, shooting the chair-bound man a venomous look.</p><p>Marcus hummed for a moment. “I don’t remember,” He finally said, throwing his head back in a drunken laugh. “I mixed that drink years ago, old friend. There’s no way I’m gonna remember something like that.”</p><p>Jorge scowled. Gesturing Aris to hold onto Brenda, his hands dropped to his sides to form clenched fists of tension. “Go put them in the backroom,” He instructed, there are couches they can sleep on.” And with that, he stalked towards Marcus, delivering a clean blow across his jaw.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>After hauling the two sleeping individuals into the tiny conference room in the back, the others had gone out to take a short break in the lounge while simultaneously making sure Jorge didn’t end up killing Marcus in his fit of fury. Aris had noticed something off with Eden’s behaviour, but he ended up joining them after Eden managed to convince him that she was just feeling a little overwhelmed by the party downstairs.</p><p>Newt knew better though.</p><p>“You need to rest,” He hushed, watching as the raven-haired girl nearly stumbled over herself in her attempt to reach Thomas.</p><p>“I can’t. Not now,” She let out a shaky breath. “Not when people still need me.”</p><p>“You look like you’re about to roll over and die,” He pointed out, trying his best to keep his voice down as not to alert the others. Just as he was about to say more, he saw Eden lean over to lift Thomas’s shirt. “Woah, woah, woah!” He rushed over. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Checking for rashes and poison spots, what else?” She cast him an estranged look. Perhaps it was the effects of that so-called ‘Fire Juice,’ but her actions and words seemed a lot bolder compared to her usual reserved and shy self.</p><p>“Don’t worry; I won’t die,” Pushing the blond aside, Eden then turned around and reached for the corner of Brenda’s shirt with the same professional-mindset. “I can’t detect any traces of poison. My guess is that it’s probably some kind of recreational drug, and the added mixture of alcohol is what made them ultimately pass out.” She murmured, squinting slightly when she spotted what seemed to be a few black-ish veins under Brenda’s skin. But after blinking a few times, they mysteriously vanished, leaving her a little confused.</p><p>“By the way, please don’t tell Aris about the drink,” She said, putting her fingers to Brenda’s wrist as she felt around for a pulse. “I don’t want him to worry.”</p><p>Newt’s lips weighed into an acute frown. “Of course, he would worry. He's already worrying. Why would you even say something like that?”</p><p>“Because I’m always such a burden on everyone,” Eden replied as her brown eyes slowly glazed over with an indescribable look. “Because despite how I am, at the most crucial moments, I can never seem to do anything for anyone,” She bit her bottom lip, her grip subconsciously tightening around Brenda’s wrist. “I can’t fight, I can’t lead, I can barely even hold a proper conversation with people. I can only hide behind the people I care about the most, and pray to god that if they get hurt, I can somehow get there on time and bring them some kind of relief in their last moments of suffering.”</p><p>As she shifted her attention to checking on Thomas’s pulse, Newt’s eyes flickered a downcast.</p><p>He felt as if he heard something he probably shouldn’t have.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Someone wanted me to shed a little light on my thought process as I created Eden, so here we go.</p><p>Mine and Astra (my co-writer)'s main idea when tackling this topic was - What is it exactly that makes a character 'strong?' Is it physical strength? Is it 'badass-ary?' Is it how many people they can fight at a time? Or is it something else entirely? As much as I love a good kick-ass, witty character as the next person, there has always been something that didn't sit right with me when those kinds of characters are immediately labelled as strong because they 'have no fears,' or that they 'don't rely on other people.'</p><p>Eden is still a teenager. She gets squirmish around her crush, and will overthink literally anything and everything other people do. She is not a girly-girl per say, but neither is she a tomboy. She is just that - a normal girl. She isn't a natrual leader, and she isn't fast nor strong, often having to rely on other people just to get through the Maze let alone the Scorch. She is insecure and sees little to no value in herself other than being a portable first-aid kit that can only circumstantial save lives. But despite all that, she will flip into her 'clinical mode' and make a stand for her morals whenever she feels that the situation depends on it. </p><p>Eden is someone who is at her best when she is helping others. She is afraid of many things, but she is willing to fight back those fears and stare death directly in the eye if it means she can protect someone she cares for. </p><p> Because in my opinion, a strong character is an average person who is going through an extraordinary circumstance. What makes them strong, however, is seeing how they react to those extreme circumstances that would make any lesser person snap and crumble.</p><p>And that is ultimately what Eden is built upon.</p><p>I'm honestly not the best at describing these kinds of things, but I hope this helped. This helped explain a thing or two.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. [Chapter 11] ✙ Virus VC321xb47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>[Chapter 11] ✙ </span>
    <b>Virus VC321xb47</b>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suggest you talk, you son of a bitch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden jolted up at the sound of that scream, nearly tumbling off the couch she was sleeping on if it weren’t for the arm that quickly grabbed ahold of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rise n’ shine, doc,” Minho greeted her with a cheeky grin. “Hope you had a nice nap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awake!” Aris breathed a sigh in relief, a clear sense of relief flooded in his voice as he lunged forward to hug the girl. “Oh, thank god.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprised by her friend’s sudden gesture, Eden took a moment process it before slowly wrapping her arms around his back. She had been lying on a tan-coloured couch with a brown jacket draped over her like a blanket. Had she fallen asleep? How? When? And where were-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” She abruptly pulled away. “Where are Thomas and Brenda?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right here,” A cool voice interjected, drawing Eden’s attention over to reveal Brenda herself, sitting cross-legged on a quilted couch looking as calm and composed as ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We gave her some water, just like you told us to,” Frypan informed, seated on a blue single-seat in the corner of the room. “Thomas is still sleepin’ in the back room, but I reckon he’d be waking up soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Water?” Eden cocked her head to the side. “When did I…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean, you don’t remember?” Minho raised an eyebrow, throwing his head back in a small laugh as the raven-haired girl shook her head in confusion. “You came outta that room mumblin’ about recreational drugs and how they should be drinking water to ‘flush them out,’” He explained, fingers making air quote gestures as he spoke.  “And when Newt told you to get some rest, you kept talkin’ about how you were fine and won’t shut up about wanting to read some stupid file from your bag. But the moment he got your head on that pillow, you dropped asleep faster than I’ve seen flies drop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It then occurred to Eden that the brown jacket that laid softly on her lap belonged to none other than Newt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, have some water,” Aris smiled, presenting forth a small glass cup. “How’s your throat feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Graciously accepting the cup, Eden began to gulp it down, making a mental note that the soreness that had been lodging into the back of her throat from the previous night had since vanished. She had read somewhere that alcoholic drinks were surprisingly beneficial for sore throats, but she hadn’t realized it’d be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> beneficial. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m alright now,” She assured, letting out a satisfied sigh as the cold drink trickled down her throat. “Where’s Newt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, the light collision of the beaded curtains being drawn open caught everyone’s attention. They collectively looked over, watching as Thomas stumbled out of the conference room with Newt’s help, Teresa standing not far behind the two with a neutral expression painted across pale features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look who’s back among the livin’,” Newt announced, gently patting Thomas on the shoulder in reassurance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho sneered. “Welcome back, Mr. Ex-Ambassador.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?” Eden asked in concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Giving each of his friends a small nod, Thomas made his way towards Minho who took a seat on a nearby burgundy couch. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Still recovering from Jorge’s previous blow, Marcus groaned as he swayed his head from left to right. “Now that all of your kids are awake, you're really going to have to leave my house,” He spoke with a slight slur to his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge huffed out a breath. “I don't enjoy hurting you, hermano. So I suggest you just start talkin’. Where is the Right Arm, Marcus?” He scowled, annunciating each word very clearly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas blinked. “Wait, this is Marcus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Casting a glance towards the boy, Marcus gave a weak chuckle. “The kid catches on quick,” He remarked sarcastically. “A-Are you the brains of the operation?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sick and tired of his delirious attitude, Jorge reached forward to grab a fistful of the man’s hair, yanking his head back. “I know you know where they're hiding,” He glowered in a low voice. “So you tell me, and I'll make you a deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus suddenly began to laugh, seeming abnormally entertained by the offer. “I burned that bridge a long time ago,” He murmured, sniffing back some of the blood that began to trickle down his nose. “Besides, I’ve made my own deals. Opportunities that pay a whole lot more money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt narrowed his eyes. “So you’re working for WICKED,” His words came out more as a statement than a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Marcus hummed, somewhat impressed by how quickly the blond caught on. “Smart kids you’ve got here, Jorge,” He noted, shooting his old friend a toothy grin before continuing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WICKED wants all the Immunes they can get,” He explained. “And I help provide just that. I lure the kids in; they get drunk; they have a good time. And then after they pass out, WICKED comes in and…” He paused, his voice breaking into a maddened cackle. “They separate the wheat from the chaff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A look of disgust crossed Jorge’s eyes as his jaw tightened. “I changed my mind, hermano. I do enjoy hurting you,” And with that, he reeled back and rammed his foot square into Marcus’s chest, tipping the chair-bound man over as he slammed to the ground with a yelp in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden jumped in her seat, watched with her lips pressed together as Jorge whipped out the revolver from his belt. Stepping forward, he straddling the deranged man’s chest before pointing the muzzle directly up against his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk!” He roared, startling the others as they rose to their feet. “Talk!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay! Okay! Jesus!” At the sight of the gun, Marcus’s drunken and dazed persona immediately dropped as he began to panic. “But I'm not making any promises, these guys like to move around,” He gasped, heaving a sigh of relief as Jorge took a step back and pulled him upright with Frypan’s help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have an outpost,” He revealed after taking a moment to collect himself. “It’s somewhere in the mountains, which is a long way away. You got half of WICKED on your ass. You're never gonna make it,” And just like that, his words trailed off into another series of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, Jorge didn’t seem as bothered this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not on foot,” He said after a moment of thought. Leaning forward, Jorge rested his hands on Marcus’s shoulders with a child-like enthusiasm. “Where's Bertha?” He asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcus’s only open eye seemed to widen a little as an uncharacteristic sense of horror darted across. “No…” His lips quivered ever-so-slightly as he gulped. “Not Bertha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, let me get this straight,” Minho deadpanned. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is ‘Bertha?’” He raised his voice, gesturing a light blue car littered nose to tail in paint scratches and paint chips, as well as a set of bull horns moulded to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Jorge chirped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This beat-up, old piece of klunk?” The Asian boy continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, watch what you say around her,” Raising a finger to his lips, Jorge hushed with a frown. “She’s a sensitive soul,” He murmured, gently caressing a spot where the paint had long chipped off its metal body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s a shuckin’ car!” Minho threw his hands in the air before shifting his attention to the others who were carefully piling their bags into the vehicle’s trunk, seeming not at all phased by the man’s ridiculous claims. “And how are none of you questioning that these two shanks literally named an inanimate object?!” He pointed at them with an expression that could only be described as betrayal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t bother questioning it; just do what he asks,” Brenda said, tossing Thomas’s pack into the back before taking Frypan’s. “It’s how I got through surviving with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho rolled his eyes. “Wow, thanks for the brilliant advice,” He spat. “I feel o’ so enlightened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heaving a sigh at his friend’s antics and needless verbal remarks, Newt shook his head. As he passed Brenda his pack, he glanced over towards the front seats where a childish grin began spreading across his cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I call shotgun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s not fair!” Minho snapped his head towards the blond. “I wanted to call shotgun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, too bad for you, cause I already called it,” Newt shrugged. “First come, first serve.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frypan attempted to step in and mend the situation. “Does it really matter-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brenda wanted to facepalm at the immaturity of these kids. How Jorge managed to deal with them for even an hour was beyond her. “Relax, there’s enough space for two in the front,” She explained, shooting both boys a dull expression. “That means you can </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> ride shotgun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if it’d be rude for me to say that I wanted to ride shotgun too,” Leaning in close, Aris whispered to his fellow Glenner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Eden chuckled wryly. “Don’t you remember the time when Minho threw you over his shoulder?” She reminded, rummaging through her bag for the medical binder before passing it to Brenda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris shivered at the memory. “Yeah, I’ll just take the backseat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That might be best,” She agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>And thus, with everyone adequately settled into the car or ‘Bertha’ as Jorge so adamantly called her, they were off. Leaving the ruined city behind and venturing into the barren landscape, he made it clear to the teenagers that he was determined to make it to the Right Arm camp before sundown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Newt and Minho in the front sharing the shotgun spot, the others were seated like the following: Teresa and Eden were sharing the middle row with Brenda in the middle as she was the smallest of the three, giving the girls an adequate amount of personal space and privacy. The back row was occupied by Thomas, Frypan and Aris, with Aris sitting in the middle for similar reasons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mostly everyone was asleep. Unlike the three individuals who actually got a little nap in during Jorge’s interrogation session, they haven’t had a decent hour of rest since waking up in the middle of the desert during that thunderstorm. They were beyond exhausted and were taking the much-needed opportunity to rest up and recharge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strangely enough, Brenda was also asleep, though asleep wasn’t really the right word to describe it. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was laborious, like every inhalation she made would be her last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden’s brows furrowed as she tilted her head to the side. She has seen these symptoms before, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“U-Um, Thomas…” Turning around, she locked eyes with the brown-haired leader who seemed to have snapped out from a bit of a daze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” He hummed. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I…” She averted her eyes, glancing over at Brenda for a second as she took a deep breath. “I was just wondering what happened to you two after we got separated. Brenda doesn’t seem to well, and I… I’m just a little worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small look of recognition seemed to cross Thomas’s face as he swallowed hard. “Uhh… We just got stuck in an underground passage for a little while,” He explained, dark brown eyes flickering to Brenda for a few seconds. “We had a run-in with a few Cranks, but… no one got hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden’s brows furrowed. “Really? Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas pressed his lips together. “Yeah. Yeah, of course,” He assured. “Brenda’s just a little tired. Once we get to the Right Arm camp and get some food, I’m sure she’ll be feeling better in no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though she was still skeptical, Eden found some merit in what Thomas had said. It could’ve also been an after-effect of the Fire Juice for all she knew. “What about you?” Her eyes swept him up and down. “What about you? Are you feeling alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” He nodded. “Thanks for asking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Eden smiled. “It’s my job, after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After reminding Thomas to catch some rest before they got there, Eden turned back to face the front of the car. She peered out the window, watching as the desolate landscape whisked past her eyes for a few moments before shifting her attention towards the black-leather binder on her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been careful to avoid reading more about the Flare virus, especially after she experienced such a strong emotional outburst last time by merely skimming through the four-paged overview. But she knew she couldn’t stay ignorant for long. If she really wanted to be a person of value, if she wanted to be able to help others, and especially if she wanted to find a cure - she needed to toughen up and learn the contents within this binder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath through her nose, Eden opened the stiff cover and reached for the tab labelled ‘History.’</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Red.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>All Eden could see was red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pure anger boiled in her guts, scalding her insides like a blazing inferno that she threatened to regurgitate back out onto the page. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rip these research papers apart and incinerate the rest until nothing but ashes remained. Her hands began to tremble as the pages wrinkled in her grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eden?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Eden?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is what Marie died for…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eden!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sudden call for her name finally drew her out of her surging thoughts, causing the raven-haired girl to snap her head up towards the front row of the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt was staring back at her, a deep-set frown marred on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright? You were glaring at those papers like they did somethin’ to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah,” Eden blinked, taking an extra second to recompose herself as she straightened out her thoughts. “Sorry, I was just really concentrated on reading. Did you need something-? Wait, why are you even awake?” She tilted her head to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt sighed. “Why don’t you ask the shank fast asleep right here?” He murmured, casting the space beside him an exasperated look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious as to what he meant, Eden sat up straighter and peeked over the leather seats, only to barely stifle a chuckle. Minho’s mouth hung open in a loud snore; his limbs were sprawled all over the passenger’s side of the front row as his head remained leaned up against the blond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I knew it’d turn out like this, I wouldn’t have called shotgun, to begin with,” Newt grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the sheer amount of rage that plagued her mind and body mere moments ago, Eden found herself smiling. “Well, I guess that’s just a normal bodily function,” She said. “Is Jorge not bothered by it...?” Her voice trailed off as she glanced over to the side, noticing the man in the driver’s seat was wearing a set of black plastic headphones connected to what seemed to be an old walkman. “Huh?” She blinked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, he put those on sometime after he fell asleep,” Newt commented dryly. “Lucky him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden giggled. “Would you like to talk for a little?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that alright?” He asked, subconsciously letting the relief and eagerness in his voice slip. “I don’t want to bother you, if you’re busy or tired,” He said, eyes flickering down towards the binder on her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden felt her face fall as the contents she just read came flooding back into her memories. “No,” She shook her head, gently closing the black leather cover with a sigh. “It’s okay. I just finished anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s jaw clenched at her wry expression. Earlier, when he looked back in a state of annoyance from Minho’s almost-thunderous snoring, he saw an expression he never thought would appear on the timid girl’s delicate features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes were practically blazing with fire, seeming as if she was about to set the binder aflame with her gaze alone. It was as if she was possessed, her knuckles whitening with how hard she was clenching the papers. Her hunched form exuded a sense of acid like hostility, one that her tightened lips served as the only barrier between the world and her suppressed rage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last time she read through those files, she ended up alone under a starless night, lamenting over the effects the Flare virus had on its hosts. So Newt could only wonder what invoked such overwhelming emotions this time around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he didn’t want to protrude, the mixture of curiosity and concern got the better of his judgement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t mind me asking,” He cleared his throat. “Can you tell me about what you’ve learned so far?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Eden’s eyes were wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least there was no anger. That was a good start, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanna know,” Newt reasoned, awkwardly shifting his body so as not to wake Minho. “But I doubt I could understand anythin’ from that giant file since I’m not really good with science or medicine,” He added for good measure. “So, if you don’t mind...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a small moment of silence as the raven-haired girl simply stared at him before glancing down at the binder she kept nestled on her lap. “Are you sure?” She asked with a complicated expression. “The contents aren’t exactly… pleasant to read. I’d call them disturbing, if anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Newt assured her, resting an arm on the leather seat so he could turn to face her better. “I can’t stay ignorant forever, I wanna learn what happened that made the world this messed-up of a place too,” He said, briefly peering out the windows towards the mountain ranges the car began to approach. “Lots of questions so far, but no bloody answers. So even just a little will help,” He said earnestly as he looked back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though surprised at first, Eden soon smiled. Even though it was a wistful one, it made Newt realize how much better it suited her compared to one of grief, anger or even worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” She opened the binder once more. “I’ll give you the best summary I can of what I’ve read so far,” She said, taking a deep breath before beginning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the year 2136, the Solar Flares hit the earth. Massive storms of heat and fire ravaged the planet, killing over four and a half billion people. Europe was left sunken underwater, while India and Mexico were completely burned off the map.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Due to the chaotic state the world had fallen into, the Post-Flares Coalition was found. It was an organization initially formed to help find solutions to the damage the solar storms had caused,” She explained, her brows knitting together at the mention of the company name. “One of the biggest problems they faced at the time was the dangerously low food portions. Because of the heat and radiation, much of the soil had been burned, thus unable to grow nor plant new foods. One of the scientists calculated that there would only be enough to feed about 70% of the population, leaving about 30% of the population in destitute. Riots broke out, and there was even an incident that took place in which the starving public murdered several military officers as they were on their way to distribute food. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was when a scientist working for the Post-Flares Coalition - Katie McVoy stepped forward,” Eden’s fists clenched tight, practically hissing the woman’s name through her teeth. “She presented the VC321xb47 virus, otherwise known as 'The Flare.' It was a biological weapon that the Army Medical Research Institution kept in containment for several years. She described it as a disease that worked quickly and painlessly to shut down the brain and kill its victims in the most humane way possible. She also said that the infection rate would slowly weaken as the virus spreads to different hosts, eventually stopping altogether. She suggested that if they used the Flare virus on the general public, they'd be able to control the population and resolve their food crisis. So after the Chancellor's approval, the disease was systematically released in various heavily-populated cities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” New was taken aback by the then-documented description of the Flare. “But that’s nothing like the Cranks we have now,” He pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, they didn’t realize how unstable the Flare virus really was,” Eden murmured just loud enough for him to hear. “It mutated rapidly, turning anyone and everyone who came in contact with the virus into what we now call the Cranks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes rounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of their association with the release of the Flare virus, the Post-Flares Coalition disbanded and reformed into a new company to avoid a bad reputation and possible repercussions,” Eden continued. “And thus WICKED was formed, standing for the World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department. They swore an oath to the world that they’d find the cure to the Flare global-wide pandemic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-Hold on…” Newt seemed to have trouble processing all this new information. “Are you tellin’ me that this Flare virus was all WICKED’s bloody fault to begin with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pressing her lips together, Eden slowly nodded. “But that’s not all,” She said, interpreting Newt’s silence as a signal to continue. “Not long after they began researching and running tests, the scientists managed to make a breakthrough discovery regarding the virus. They learned that while the Flare had a high mortality rate among the non-infected, there was a very small percentage of the population, mostly consisting of adolescents under the age of twenty, who were immune to the effects of the Flare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was due to a special enzyme their brains are able to manufacture called the Succour. They discovered that this particular enzyme had the ability to halt the virus’s advances through the bloodstream and towards the, thus making these people immune to- Ah!” She suddenly gasped, taking note of his slightly confused expression. “Sorry, I guess I got little carried away there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine,” Newt assured her. “Just, try and slow down a little. I’m trying my hardest to keep up with what you’re saying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Right, of course,” Eden stammered awkwardly. “Erm, let me give you an example,” She reached out to touch her forearm. “Say if I were bitten or scratched by a Crank, the Flare virus would enter my body and travel through my bloodstream, directly attacking a specific part of the brain WICKED had dubbed ‘the Killzone.’ The virus itself is pretty slow acting. But as I’ve mentioned, </span>
  <span>if the person's brain is constantly active and under stress, the rate in which the Flare eats away at the Killzone would ten-fold, resulting in them being turned into Cranks sooner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“However, an Immune’s brain works a little differently. For some reason, their Killzone is able to produce this enzyme WICKED called ‘the </span>
  <span>Succour,’ which can stop the Flare virus from even travelling through the bloodstream in the first place,” Her face darkened. “And that’s all WICKED needed to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s brows furrowed. “What’re you on about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Janson referred to us as ‘the hope of a cure,’” Eden pressed her lips together before looking towards the blond once more. “Have you ever wondered why they WICKED would conduct the Maze Trial? Why would they send children, who were supposedly such an important piece to the puzzle into an isolated maze filled with violent creatures like the Shade?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slowly shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The answer is this,” Raising a hand, Eden gently tapped her temple as an unwavering glint darted across her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt recognized that look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was that same undaunting look he saw in her the day they gave Winston the gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason, the sight sent an electrifying jolted down his spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Succor itself is an enzyme that can be separated from the bloodstream and harvested,” Eden continued, her gaze drifting back down to the pages in the binder. “It can serve as a powerful agent to momentarily halt the spread of the virus for someone who’s Killzone doesn’t naturally produce the Succour. WICKED named it - ‘the Bliss,’” Her brows furrowed. “But even so, the Bliss still isn’t a cure to the virus. The only way to stop the spreading of the Flare virus is for the Killzone to produce a constant supply of the Succor. Those who receive the Bliss via injection would only be able to hold out for a limited amount of time, though the exact time frame is different for everyone,” She paused for a moment, noticing Newt’s estranged look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” She blinked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand,” Newt replied, feeling a little guilty for being unable to understand the explanation she had so carefully presented forward. “If a non-Immune receives the Bliss, shouldn’t the virus be stopped with the dosage provided? Why would the immunity wear off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden tapped her chin in thought. “Imagine it like this,” She said, raising both hands as she began gesturing along with her words. “Two armies are sent off to defend the city against an enemy with an unlimited amount of soldiers. One army also has an unlimited amount of soldiers, while the other has a set amount. The army of an unlimited number of soldiers can probably stall the enemy for eternity. In contrast, the army with a set amount will eventually run out and become overwhelmed, allowing the enemy to continue their advances towards the city.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see,” He hummed. “So technically speaking, the Immunes aren’t really ‘immune.’ They’re just stopping the virus from reaching their brain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Eden nodded, seeming somewhat impressed by his wit. “Rather than an Immune, they’re more like… subconscious carriers who are unaffected by the virus, given that they’re still able to pass it on to non-Immunes through an exchange of bodily fluids. The only thing that keeps them from turning into Cranks is the Succour their brain produces, which brings us to WICKED’s reason for the Maze Trial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Killzone is triggered by danger and a constantly active brain. For a person affected by the Flare virus, this will speed up the rate in which the virus progresses; but for an Immune, it speeds up the rate in which the Succour enzyme is produced.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t mean…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Eden nodded. “Everything in the Maze Trial, everything we went through, it was all for the sake of producing more of the Succour for them to extract and drain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s mouth gaped open. “But that’s…” He suddenly flinched as if remembering something. “Wait, but about Winston? Or those who weren’t immune? Why were they placed in the Maze Trials?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were placed as a controlled subject in the experiment. To study the differences between the Killzone of an immune and non-immune,” Her hands began to scrunch the research paper as her breath grew ragged. “They manually mutated the Flare virus to create the Shade, in order to add another element of danger and impending threat into the experiment. Because of that, because of them…” She whispered with a mixture of bitterness and anger dripping in her tone. “So many people died unnecessary deaths.” Her eyes were practically glowing red. “Because of that one woman’s mistakes, the whole world was thrown into shambles, and we had to be the ones to pay for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt didn’t know what to say. He thought back to his days in the Maze, to the boys he exiled along with the other Keepers in the Glade. He still remembered the looks of horror on their faces as they were being pushed past the closing doors and into the jaws of the Grievers, and their pleads and screams before they were completely blocked out by the thick walls of the Maze. He thought of Alby - who was taken on that fateful night when the Grievers attacked, and Chuck - who was shot by Gally in his attempt to protect Thomas, and even Winston - who became infected with the Flare as he held off the Cranks to ensure their escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He then thought of Eden, and what she must be feeling after learning all this. All those girls she killed, the ones she made a conscious choice to put them out of their misery by using the Abyss serum - how all of that would’ve been completely avoided if that woman had just never released the Flare virus in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He averted his eyes to the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, that certainly explains the anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But through that boiling rage, he also saw tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears that expressed her anger and sorrow for those who have lost their lives in the world’s tragedy. Tears that protested the injustice in their circumstances, being torn away from their families to participate in such a cruel experiment that cost the lives of many, only to be lined up and drained for a temporary cure to the virus WICKED themselves released.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without thinking, Newt reached a hand back, gently wiping away the tears that gathered at her eyes he’s sure even she wasn’t aware of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But here we are anyway,” He said, eyes crinkling slightly as he watched her lift her gaze with a look of astonishment. “All we can do now is keep moving forward. For our sake, and to honour the people who have lost their lives along the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden’s eyes widened, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over her like a tidal wave that nearly knocked the wits out of her. Biting her bottom lip, she looked down at the research papers for a brief moment. Then, with the heel of her hand, she rubbed away the tears in her other eye before meeting Newt’s honey-brown eyes with a curt nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <span>After a long and winding road up the mountains, Bertha the car eventually came to a stop before a long line of rusted cars and trucks leading towards a cave deeper into the mountains. Jorge clicked his tongue at the sight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, kids,” He huffed, reaching to unlock the car doors. “Guess we’re on foot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden’s eyes grew wide, feeling the cool breeze rush through her tangled hair and tickling at the back of her neck. She glanced around, utterly in awe by the tall peaks that extended towards the sky, casting a rigid shadow on the path ahead. The cliffs were rocky and stood almost at a right angle beside and below them. Eden shuddered to think what may happen if she fell down one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the group began gathering their thing, Eden took notice of Brenda’s ashen white complexion as she carried the various bags out of the car trunk, tossing them to the ground for the others to identify and grab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Erm, Brenda?” She called out to the girl, awkwardly clutching the medical binder to her chest. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” The olive-skinned girl replied simply. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Eden blinked. “How could that be? You were sleeping most of the time when we were at Marcus’s place, then in the car-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, I’m fine, alright?!” Brenda cut her off, gruffly tossing the pack in her direction with an irritated look. Though because of the binder in her arms, Eden failed to catch the bag. “Just grab your bag and keep moving,” She heaved a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-Right,” Eden nodded sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Following Jorge, the group began their trek up the mountain road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several beat-up vehicles were scattered across the road in various positions. Some laid on their sides, while others were upside down entirely. They were vacant and possibly have been for a long time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell happened here?” Frypan murmured out loud, brushing a hand across the shattered surface of a car window. “Are you sure this is the right place, Jorge?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s what Marcus said,” Jorge shrugged, craning his neck upwards to examine the steep cliffs above. “Try to stick together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t seem like anyone has been here in ages though,” Aris noted, rummaging through the trunk of a nearby Sedan, coming up with nothing but a storm of dust and grime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden peeked into the front seat of a grey hatchback only to cover her mouth in horror. “Oh my gosh,” She took a staggering step backwards, accidentally bumping into Newt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What’s wrong?” He asked, peering over her shoulder and through the window-less car only to feel his blood run cold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Darkened stains, presumably blood was splattered everywhere in the front row. Everywhere save for the human-shaped silhouette on the driver seat, which had a large splat on the headrest leading to a trail of mahogany down the backside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look,” Eden pointed at the bloodied windshield of the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt squinted, quickly noticing the small shattered hole in the cracked glass. “That’s…” His breath hitched. “A bullet-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could finish his sentence, the inhuman sound of a bullet ricocheting off the hood of a car rang out, effectively shattering the eerie peace of deserted mountain road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get down!” Minho roared, appearing out of seemingly nowhere as he shoved both Newt and Eden’s heads down along with him as he dove behind the hatchback.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take cover!” Aris shouted as he held his hands over his head, crouching behind a nearby pick-up van with Brenda, Teresa and Frypan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden squeezed her eyes shut and slapped her hands over her mouth. She listened as more bullets darted across the air from all directions, shattering whatever windows the cars had left before finally, it became quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, is everyone okay out there?” After a few moments of silence, Thomas called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We're fine,” Teresa replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same here,” Newt added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyone know where those shuckin’ shots came from?” Frypan hollered back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eden slowly brought hands down from her face, staring at the uneven terrain beneath her as she attempted to think through the rapid beating of her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could it be…?” Her eyes widened. “We were led into a trap?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho shot her weird look. “What are you talking about?” He questioned through panting breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think about it. With the way we treated Marcus, it’s likely he would lead us to a false location full of WICKED guards to kill us and get us off his back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s brows furrowed, his eyes darting from left to right as he considered her theory. “That… is possible. But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everybody!” Before he could say too much, Jorge’s voice rang out through the barren landscape, instantly drawing their attention despite their inability to look back at him and Thomas. “Get set to sprint back to the truck! And hold your ears!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon his instructions, the three of them exchange a brief glance. Then with one, silent and unanimous decision, they prop themselves up in preparation to run as directed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” Jorge cleared his throat. One... Two…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, before he could even reach the third count, the sound of a gun reloading had him silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drop it,” A cool voice ordered, sending a chill down Eden’s spine as she froze in her spot. “Now!” She heard them emphasize, this time sounding a little more desperate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She said, drop it!” A different voice, also equally muffled, joined in. Newt and Minho had carefully shifted their attention towards the source of the sound, though Eden still didn’t dare to move. Due to the impending fear that crept up on her, she had failed to notice that both of those voices sounded rather… familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light tap of something hitting the ground suggested that Thomas and Jorge had let go of whatever they were holding onto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On your feet. Let's go,” The first voice then demanded. “Let's go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You three, over here now!” The second voice joined in, presumably gesturing the three of them. Eden could feel Newt and Minho slowly standing up as ordered, but her legs still felt like jelly beneath her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their aggressors seemed to have noticed her non-compliant behaviour as the first voice immediately bellowed at her. “You in the back!” She yelled, sharply cocking her rifle as a means to intimidate. “Don't be stupid! Move!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right!” Eden shrieked, quickly forcing the numbness out of her legs as she scrambled to her feet. “I-I’m sorry!” She slowly turned around, briefly catching a look at the two girls before looking down at her feet. One was a tall brunette with her hair in long dreadlocks, while the other was a shorter girl with her bright blonde hair tied into a low ponytail. They both wore a bandanna over their mouths, effectively concealing their identity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Eden made her way over, she had expected one of the girls to chastise her for taking too long. But instead, what came was… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eden?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flinched, hearing her name being called. Though it took her a second longer to question why the stranger even knew her name in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a moment of confusion and instinct, Eden glanced up at the brunette only to see her staring back with a look of confusion and disorientation in her large brown eyes. She quickly dropped the gun, reaching up to pull down her bandanna, revealing an all too familiar face.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just to let you all know, it's been around two weeks since Marie died in the Glen. She was stung and put down a day before Rachel's arrival and three before their escape, which is why her death is still pretty fresh in Eden's mind.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. [Chapter 12] ✙ Lesson Number Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">[Chapter 12] ✙ <b>Lesson Number Four</b></span>
</p><p> </p><p>“Harriet…?”</p><p>The words got past Eden’s lips in a whisper as she felt her legs nearly give out once more. She didn’t expect to see that face, albeit ever again. After witnessing first-hand how horrifying the Cranks were with Winston and their escape from the shopping mall, she had long resigned herself to the idea that Harriet and Sonya must’ve perished at the hands of the Scorch’s many perils. Perhaps they were mauled to death by those flared-up creatures; perhaps they encountered another group of survivors who were less than sensible compared to the likes of Jorge.</p><p>Either way, all Eden could hope and pray for every night was that her friends didn’t suffer in their final moments of life.</p><p>So never did she imagine, she’d find them here. Alive at that.</p><p>“Harriet…!” Eden spoke again, her voice trembling with joy and disbelief as she stumbled past Newt and Minho. “Harriet!” With an outstretched hand, she took another staggering step forward only for her knees to buckle from the strange mixture of pressure and relief that flooded her system. Before she could even register the sudden imbalance in her body, Harriet instinctively extended her arms, catching the raven-haired girl snug in her chest with an equally shell-shocked expression.</p><p>“It’s really you, right…?” Clinging onto her friend’s brown aviator jacket, Eden craned her neck, trying her best to refrain her vision from blurring up with tears. “You’re okay?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Harriet assured her with a sniffle, gently running a hand through Eden’s tangled hair. “It’s really me.”</p><p>With those words, the tears quickly gushed forth, flowing down Eden’s cheeks faster than her already erratically beating heart. She began to mumble incoherent things, choking on her sobs as Harriet reeled her head back in so she could weep against her chest.</p><p>Surprised by the sudden turn of events, their other ambusher, the shorter girl with bright blonde hair also removed her mask with wide eyes. Revealing herself to be none other than Sonya.</p><p>“Harriet?” Aris’s voice sounded from the side, having come out of his hiding spot despite Teresa and Frypan’s protests. “And Sonya too?”</p><p>“Aris!” Both girls gasped in recognition, the blonde running forward to wrap her arms around him.</p><p>“You’re lucky we didn’t shoot your asses,” She teased. “Are you both okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re fine,” Aris replied with a heavy breath, his stormy-grey eyes darted between the two girls as they pulled apart. “How…?” His voice trailed off, looking as if he were struggling to find the right words to say in such a situation.</p><p>Luckily, he didn’t have to; considering Minho had plenty to say regarding these… odd developments.</p><p>“Uhh, what’s happening here?” He cocked an eyebrow at the four.</p><p>Aris looked to Eden for a brief moment, smiling wryly as he watched her bawl her eyes out against Harriet. “We were in the maze together,” He explained, turning back to face the Gladers with a bright beam.</p><p>As if to prove his point and show they meant no threat, Harriet raised her hand from Eden’s head to her mouth, giving a sharp whistle towards the mountain ranges. “We’re clear, guys!” She shouted. “Come on out!”</p><p>“Copy that!” A voice hollered back. And soon, several figures emerged from beyond the chasms, each carrying a sniper rifle and dressed head to toe in camouflage. “Stand down! We're clear!” One informed the rest of their comrades.</p><p>Harriet scanned the group of unfamiliar faces, chuckling slightly at their relieved yet skeptical expressions as they stared up in amazement. She then turned her attention down to Eden, who has since stopped mumbling incomprehensible words and resorted to crying her heart out.</p><p>Unlike the late Marie or even Sonya, Harriet was never really the type to indulge Eden and her timid personality. Instead, she’d often chastise her, telling her than she needed to toughen up and stop letting every little thing shake the foundations of her emotional state.</p><p>But just this once, she thought it’d be okay to spoil her just a little.</p><p>So she wrapped a hand around the raven-haired girl’s head, holding her as tightly as possible while whispering words of reassurance. Just like that day, mere weeks ago, when she saw her stumble out of the Medical Ward after her tears had dried up from crying.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>“Back it up, Joe!” Sonya instructed, leading the group through the inner cavern, which had been previously blocked off by the nose of a truck. But as her voice’s command, the ignition of the old vehicle roared to life as the headlights flickered on.</p><p>“Backing up!” The man sitting inside nodded, slowly inching the truck backwards to reveal the path further up the mountains. A few men congregate to the side of the road, eyeing the newcomers with suspicion. One of them turned to Harriet with an inquisitive look.</p><p>“We're taking them to base,” She explained, trying her best to seem tough and put-together despite Eden sticking to her side like a little lost puppy.</p><p>Aris glanced around at the crowds of people. “Wait, so, how did you guys get here?” He asked curiously.</p><p>“The Right Arm got us out,” Sonya replied, her words immediately piquing Thomas’s interests as he stepped to the front of the group.</p><p>“Wait. The Right Arm?” His brows furrowed. “Do you know where they are?”</p><p>Hearing his question, Harriet and Sonya exchanged a knowing look. The former of the two then reached for the back door of the truck, tugging it open with a firm yank. “Hop in,” She said, a mysterious smile pulling at her lips.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Riding in two separate SUVs, Harriet and Sonya took the group further up the mountains until they finally arrived on the outskirts of what they could only presume to be the Right Arm’s base.</p><p>As Eden climbed out of the backseat of the car, she couldn’t help but gawk at the beautiful view that panned out before her eyes. Situated under a towering cliff, the sunlight drew a soft shadow across the various tents set up within the vicinity as people bustled about. Some were crowded by the food tent, gulping down on the latest batch of stew while others were busy carrying boxes supplies from place to place.</p><p>“They've been planning this for over a year now,” Harriet said, drawing Eden out of her thoughts as she began to make her way down a slight incline. “This is all for us.”</p><p>“You guys are lucky you found us when you did. We're moving out at first light.” Sonya chimed in, playfully nudging Aris in the arm before noticing a passing figure. “Hey, Luth!” She called out with a wave. “Where's Vince?”</p><p>A boy around the same age as Thomas turned around, gesturing a dusty brown tent further back. “Somewhere over there, I think,” He then turned his attention towards the incoming group. “Nice to meet you guys, the name’s Luth.” He introduced himself with a bright grin. “If you need anything, feel free to ask. If Vince lets you stay, that is.” And with a final salute, he was off.</p><p>Watching as the stranger’s figure drew further and further away, Minho was quick to notice how sparse the numbers were in this supposed ‘resistance group.’ “I thought the Right Arm was supposed to be an army,” He questioned out loud.</p><p>“Yeah, we were,” Before either of the girls could respond, a deep voice asserted themselves into the conversation, drawing everyone’s attention towards the brown tent Luth had pointed towards earlier.</p><p>A tall, burly man, presumably the Vince that boy had mentioned earlier, stepped out into the late afternoon sun, dressed in a darker aviator jacket similar to that of Harriet’s. He had dirty blond hair that reached just past his ears as well as a goatee beard. Several other men followed behind, the sight of rifles over their shoulders making Eden shudder.</p><p>“This is all that's left of us. Lots of good people died getting us this far.” Vince continued, gesturing at the lack of people within their spacious camp before turning to study the group with an air of caution. “Who are they?” He asked the two girls who moved to stand beside him.</p><p>“They're Immunes,” Harriet informed. “Caught 'em coming up the mountain.”</p><p>“Did you check 'em?”</p><p>“We know these two, Eden and Aris.” Sonya glanced over, briefly pointing towards the two Glenners of the group. “We trust them.”</p><p>“Well, I don't,” Vince grumbled under his breath. “Check 'em.”</p><p>At his order, the men that previously stood behind shuffled forth, quickly surrounding the group as they began patting each of them down for possible Crank bites or infections. As Eden reached her arm out for them to assess, a loud heave from the side swiftly drew her attention. She snapped her head around, letting out a sharp gasp in terror once she saw Brenda’s sickly complexion. Her lips were purple and she was covered head to toe in sweat. A darkened vein extended up from her neck, bulging out of her paling skin like it had a mind of its own.</p><p>“Hey, boss…” The man checking her seemed to have noticed as well. Slowly letting go of Eden, he began to approach Brenda only to jump back in surprise when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed forward.</p><p>“Brenda! Brenda!” Jorge exclaimed, dropping to his knees as he scrambled to cradle the wheezing girl in his arms.</p><p>“Oh my gosh!” Eden was the next to crouch down. With trembling hands, she reached for Brenda’s wrist. It didn’t take long for her to locate the olive-skinned girl’s erratic pulse, causing her features to distort into pure horror.</p><p>“What's going on?” Vince questioned.</p><p>“Brenda? Brenda, talk to me,” Jorge pleaded. However, all that slipped past Brenda’s lips was a repeated apology as her breathing slowly grew shallow.</p><p>Taking a knee beside the wheezing girl, Vince gently reached for Jorge’s shoulder in concern. “What's going on with her?”</p><p>“I don't know,” Jorge shook his head. “Brenda, are you alright? Brenda?”</p><p>With a raised brow, Vince then shifted his attention to Eden, his sharp gaze drilling into her as if he were trying to pry the answer out of her forcefully. But Eden promptly avoided his gaze as her hands dropped to her sides.</p><p>These symptoms…</p><p>She had her suspicions, but…</p><p>Frowning at the lack of a concrete response, Vince leaned back a little as he studied the girl from head to toe, with the messy wrappings around her left calf quickly piquing his interests.</p><p>“What the hell?” He murmured, tilting his head slightly as he moved to yank down the bandage, revealing the swollen and bloodied outline of what could only be a Crank bite.</p><p>“Shit!” With that discovery, the near vicinity quickly descended into chaos as Vince scrambled to his feet, pulling out a gun without even a moment’s hesitation. “Crank! We got a Crank!” He hollered.</p><p>“No!” Jorge immediately attempted to shield Brenda with his own body only for Vince’s men to drag him to his feet. Eden too, felt a firm grip on her forearm as Harriet yanked her away with her jaw clenched.</p><p>“Get away from her!” She shouted over Jorge’s desperate screams.</p><p>“Wait, wait!” Pushing past the crowd, Thomas quickly positioned himself before Brenda, holding a hand out as if to ease Vince back from jumping the gun. “This just happened, okay? She's not dangerous yet.” He tried to explain.</p><p>“Well, you shouldn't have brought her here!” Vince snapped back. “We let Cranks in here now, safe haven doesn't last a week! Now, step back!”</p><p>“I understand, okay? I understand,” Thomas swallowed hard, the gears visibly turned in his head as he pondered how to diffuse the situation. “Just listen. Please. I told her that you could help. There's got to be something you can do.”</p><p>There was a brief moment as Vince’s gaze flickered between Brenda and Thomas. He slowly began to nod. “Yeah, there is,” Reaching a hand up, he cocked his gun. “I can put her out of her misery.”</p><p>With those words, Jorge instantly began thrashing in the arms of Vince’s men, his guttural screams falling short to the blond man’s ears as he carefully stabilized his gun. He was just about to pull the trigger when-</p><p>“Vince! That's enough!” A feminine voice rang throughout the area, startling nearly everyone as a middle-aged woman with long dark hair and a black coat pushed past the crowd, racing towards them with a small stagger to her steps. “Let him go,” She instructed, pointing at the men holding onto Jorge. “Let him go!” She repeated herself when they didn’t budge, prompting them to do as told, allowing Jorge to collapse by Brenda’s side as he hurried to grab hold of her once more.</p><p>“She's infected, Mary,” Vince stated, not bothering to lift his gaze nor gun from the infected girl. “There's nothing we can do for her.”</p><p>“No, but <em>he</em> can,” The woman named Mary spoke, a look of recognition washing over her features as she cracked a faint smile. “Hello, Thomas.”</p><p>The Gladers exchange a curious look amongst themselves.</p><p>Thomas’s brows furrowed, digging through his shallow memory for an ounce of this woman’s involvement. But when he came up dry, he pressed his lips together. “You know me?”</p><p>“Interesting,” Mary hummed in thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It makes sense they'd put you in the maze.” She said as she moved to kneel beside Brenda, feeling around for her pulse, much like Eden had mere moments ago. “Though I must admit, I was worried they'd kill you after what you did.”</p><p>“What I did?” Thomas only grew more confused.</p><p>“The first time we spoke, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die, one by one,” Mary recounted, a distant look shadowing her eyes as she stared up at the brown-haired boy. “The last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates of every WICKED compound, trial and lab.”</p><p>Eden stared at Thomas’s backside with wide eyes.</p><p>“He was our source,” Vince uttered in realization.</p><p>Mary nodded. “We couldn't have pulled all this off without him,” She said, lips pursing slightly as gently laid Brenda’s arm at her side. “ Take her to the tent,” She ordered Vince’s men before looking at the other teenagers. “And get these guys some warm clothes,” She added courteously.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>After retrieving fresh new clothes and a pair of gloves from the supplies tent, Eden then made her way towards the “changing tent.” Or as Sonya described, one of the many places the Right Arm stored their spare supplies.</p><p>She reached a hand forward, gingerly peeling aside the flap of the tent only to come face to face with Minho, who was just about to take off his navy-blue t-shirt.</p><p>“Huh…?”</p><p>It took Eden a second to fully process what she was looking at. But as soon as the sight registered through her mind, she immediately let out a loud shriek as the tent flap slipped through her fingers, draping down with a light sway.</p><p>“I-I’m so sorry!” She screamed, quickly turning around to bury her face in her free hand as the other clutched her new clothes flush against her chest.</p><p>“Hold on, why are you the one screaming?” Minho’s footsteps drew close, but even Eden didn’t dare to look back.</p><p>“I didn’t see anything! I promise!”</p><p>“Yeah, I know. I had everything on.” Minho stated the obvious as he poked his head out of the tent, raising an eyebrow at her cowering figure.</p><p>“A-And I didn’t mean to do that!” She continued, her face reddening at the prospect of even mentioning such an indecent act. “It was an accident, I swear!”</p><p>Minho rolled his eyes. “Yeah, cause I’m gonna believe someone like you has the galls to peep on anyone in general.”</p><p>Confused by what he meant, Eden slowly lifted her gaze, peering over her shoulder with a guarded look.</p><p>“Face it, doc,” He stifled a laugh. “Someone like you would be too embarrassed to even look at a snake shedding its skin.”</p><p>Eden couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.</p><p>“Either way, I’m so sorry-” She suddenly froze, feeling a slight chill rattle down her spine as Minho’s disapproving gaze fell upon her.</p><p>“R-Right,” Recalling their ‘lessons,’ Eden gulped. “Erm, I, uh… offer my apologies?” She stared up sheepishly, looking like a student who had just cluelessly failed their exam, despite the teacher’s added efforts and tutoring.</p><p>Minho breathed an exasperated sigh. “You know what? We’ll work on that.” He grumbled before turning on his heel and disappearing into the tent once more, leaving Eden to stand alone outside in awkward silence.</p><p>“Erm…” She pressed her lips together. “Should I come back later?”</p><p>“Nah, it’s fine,” He said. “Gimme a sec; I’ll be done soon.”</p><p>“U-Understood.”</p><p>So for a while, Eden simply stood outside the supply tent, waiting for Minho to finish changing as she watched the Right Arm members rush around camp. She felt a small smile curling at the corners of her lips.</p><p>This view... It reminded her of the Glen, and that busy time every month when a newbie had just came up in the Cube. Marie would become super busy, much to the girl’s dismay, organizing the Leaders of each group to claim their requested supplies while Ximena introduced the new girl to her new life and surroundings.</p><p>“Hey, doc,” Her train of thought was suddenly broken, however, as Minho called out from within the tent. “Can I ask you something?”</p><p>Eden blinked, a little taken aback by the odd tension in his voice. Immediately, her mind jumped to the worst-case scenario as she began to wonder if she’s somehow unknowingly betrayed his trust. “Y-Yes, of course,” She stammered with a nod, despite knowing full-well he couldn’t see her movements behind the flap. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>“I’ve been thinkin’ about your… constant apology problem,” Minho paused for a moment, clearly feeling a little awkward with his wording. “Look, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but…” He sighed. “Do you like yourself?”</p><p>Those words hit Eden like a truck.</p><p>She whipped her head around with wide eyes, stared directly at the dark green cloth as she attempted to gather her thoughts.</p><p>“I...” Remembering that Minho valued honesty and loyalty above all else, Eden replied accordingly. “I… don’t,” With her back facing the tent; her gaze flickered towards the ground.</p><p>Minho remained silent.</p><p>“I hate myself,” She continued, head sinking between her shoulders as her grip subconsciously tightening around her new clothes. “I want to change. I want to be stronger, braver and smarter. I want to be more useful to everyone else around me.”</p><p>“Okay,” Minho hummed. “Do it, then.”</p><p>“Huh?” Eden flinched, completely caught off guard by his straightforward response.</p><p>“Do it. Make that change in yourself,” He said. “If you wanna be stronger, do some training. If you wanna be braver, start with looking people in the eye more often. If you wanna be smarter, study more.” He stomped his foot, presumably trying to put his heavy-duty boots on. “And you’re plenty useful as-is. I mean, I’m pretty sure would’ve kicked it in that thunderstorm if it weren’t for you.”</p><p>“T-That was-!”</p><p>“What I’m sayin’ is,” Interrupting Eden’s attempts to protest, Minho cleared his throat. “I like you, doc. And I know your friends would tell you the same thing. But there’s no point to any of it if <em>you</em> don’t like who you are,” He emphasized, causing her eyes round. “And I’ll be honest, a lot of those points you brought up are things you gotta work on. So if they’re really bothering you that much, I think you should do something about it. Make an effort to change.” He paused for a moment as a thought came to mind. “But of course, you gotta know when to pull the breaks. No one can ever be completely satisfied with themselves. But hey, those imperfections are what makes us human, right?”</p><p>Eden didn’t respond, instead opting to stare down at her feet with an expression that could only be described as astonishment.</p><p>Change?</p><p>She never knew what she was like before the Maze, and whenever she tried to recall such information, nothing but the emptiness of a void stung at her chest.</p><p>Subconsciously or not, it was almost as if she herself <em>wanted</em> to forget.</p><p>Nevertheless, as far back as she could remember, Eden has always hated herself.</p><p>Perhaps it was her meek nature; perhaps it was her inability to find a cure to the Shade. Eden had always found herself rather… pathetic. Especially compared to Marie, who unlike her, always shone so brightly.</p><p>Marie was the person she aspired to be, but never had the courage to reach for.</p><p>After all, how could she expect to be anywhere close to that girl, when she could barely even look people in the eye when speaking?</p><p>So she never bothered trying.</p><p>But perhaps all this time, the only thing she needed was for someone to give her a little verbal push. Because upon hearing Minho’s words, Eden felt something move within her chest. She pressed her free hand against it.</p><p>Could she really...?</p><p>“Plus, if you learn to stop looking down on yourself like you do now,” Minho continued. “I’m sure your ‘constant apologies’ problem will fix itself; maybe even upgraded to a ‘normal-amount of apologies’ - which isn’t as much of a problem.”</p><p>“That brings us to lesson number four,” At the sound of Minho’s approaching footsteps, Eden snapped her head around just in time to see him throw open the tent flap with a wide grin. “Before you even think of goin’ after that shank, learn to love yourself first,” He then casually tossed something in her direction, which she fumbled to catch.</p><p>Once she managed to get a solid grasp on the object, Eden’s eyes widened as she found herself holding a lightly-used hairbrush. Confused, she was about to look up at Minho only to feet a hand slam down on her head, gruffly ruffling her already messy hair with a hearty laugh.</p><p>“Now, stop worrying about that stuff and get this rat’s nest sorted out,” He chided. “I’m sure your friends are getting impatient.”</p><p>Though she didn’t really appreciate Minho’s treatment of her supposed ‘rat’s nest,’ Eden couldn’t fight the urge as the corners of her lips began to tug upwards. “Yeah,” She peered down at the hairbrush for a second before glancing up with a smile that shone like the setting sun behind her. “Thank you, Minho!”</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>“... Then he threw me over his shoulder and paraded me around the Scorch like I was some kinda piñata,” Aris said, huffing a wry sigh as Harriet and Sonya each broke into a series of laughter.</p><p>“Well, to be fair,” Eden brought a hand to her lips, barely suppressing a giggle herself as she spoke. “You were the one who said something snarky to the supposed ‘King of Sass.’” She pointed out.</p><p>Aris deadpanned at her. “Whose side are you on here?”</p><p>Eyes flickering upwards, Eden hummed in thought. “Whoever is in the right,” She concluded cheekily, sending Harriet and Sonya through another fit.</p><p>“Ahh, you two,” Sonya wheezed, gingerly reaching up to wipe away the tears that began to gather in her soft brown eyes. “I never imagined we’d be able to talk like this again, much less so soon.”</p><p>Those words seemed to have flipped some unspoken switch as the previously joyous atmosphere quickly died down, replaced by a certain palpable tension that only grew with the silence.</p><p>Sonya covered her mouth, seemingly well-aware that she had unintentionally brought up a sensitive topic. She exchanged a momentary glance with Eden, who only pursed her lips in response.</p><p>“Eden, Aris,” Harriet spoke as she stared directly into the campfire that crackled between them. “I’m… sorry. For leaving you two behind at the WICKED facility.”</p><p>While Eden let out a barely audible ‘huh’ at her apology, Aris remained silent.</p><p>“Aris, you were kept in a different room,” Harriet explained, subconsciously fidgeting with her fingers as she deliberately avoided the boy’s gaze. Perhaps out of guilt. “It was already difficult enough trying to get a chance to talk to you. So I figured that communicating and coordinating an escape plan would be impossible. And Eden…” Her voice trailed off. “I… I didn’t think you’d survive out in the Scorch.”</p><p>“Harriet!” Sonya cast the brown-skinned girl a sharp glare.</p><p>“I’m not gonna lie to her,” Harriet retorted calmly, though her slumped shoulder and darting eyes seemed to suggest otherwise. “I’m sorry you two,” She finally said, the remorse heavy in her voice. “I gave up on both of you before even bothering to try. As your Second-in-Command, I failed you. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Well, if it’s like that, then I should apologize too!” Sonya cut in, looking. “I’m the one who started sprouting klank about that facility in the first place. And I’m the one who suggested we should try and get out.”</p><p>Eden’s eyes shifted to Aris for a second, noticing an unreadable expression painted across his tightened features. Taking a deep breath, she decided to be the one to speak up.</p><p>“It’s okay, Harriet,” Holding her hands down at her lap, she gave the girl a reassuring smile. “I understand why you made that choice. Besides, I agree with you. I don’t think I would’ve survived either,” She confessed.</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Harriet was quick to protest as she sat up straighter. “Look at you; you’re here now. You clearly made it.”</p><p>Eden shook her head. “No, I only survived because of them,” She turned her head, peering up at the Gladers who found themselves a gathering spot atop of a cliff that overlooked the entire Right Arm camp.</p><p>Her eyes crinkled as she recalled their four-day adventure together. It honestly felt much longer than that.</p><p>“I wouldn’t have survived without Thomas agreeing to take me in during their escape,” She said as she rubbed her hands together, grateful to have received some gloves for the cold evening in the mountains. “Or Newt caring for me whenever I fell behind, or Minho covering for me when I looked for the medical files, or Frypan giving me shares of his food whenever I got hungry. And of course, Aris,” She glanced towards the boy with a grateful nod. “Who convinced me to escape in the first place.</p><p>“So please don’t blame yourself, Harriet,” She concluded, looking back at her old friend with a tranquil expression.</p><p>“Yeah,” Aris finally chimed in, leaning back to stare up at the pinkening skies with a saddened smile. “It all worked out in the end, didn’t it? So don’t beat yourself up over it.”</p><p>Upon hearing their words of reassurance, Harriet felt her lips quiver. Reaching forward, she slowly wrapped her arms around Eden and released a shaky breath.</p><p>“This time, I’ll protect you properly,” She whispered. “I promise.”</p><p>For some reason, Eden felt that those words weren’t exactly directed towards her.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>For just a little while longer, the Glenners talked; Eden and Aris describing their journey through the Scorch while Harriet and Sonya caught them up on their encounter and arrival to the Right Arm base.</p><p>As the sun slowly disappeared across the horizons, Eden spotted a familiar figure making his way across camp.</p><p>Thomas.</p><p>He seemed a bit lost, wandering about with his head snapping from left to right as if he were in search of something. The last time Eden remembered seeing him was when he was taken to the medical tent alongside Brenda. Did this mean Brenda was doing better?</p><p>“Eden?” Sonya cocked her head to the side, inching into the raven-haired girl’s peripheral vision as she jumped from surprise. “You okay there?”</p><p>“Umm… Yeah,” Eden paused, reaching up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face. “Sorry-I mean excuse me,” She corrected herself. “I just need to go check on something really quickly.”</p><p>After separating from her friends, Eden hurried off in the general direction where Thomas once was only to find him long gone. He had disappeared into the crowd somewhere during her conversation with Sonya.</p><p>Resolving to search for the medical tent instead, Eden began to gingerly weave through the rush of people headed for the dining tent, presumably to grab some dinner and tune in for the night. She was just about to tighten the black parka around her body when a sudden grip on her forearm yanked her backwards, forcing her to come face-to-face with the same middle-aged woman from earlier.</p><p>“You…” She murmured, face pale as if she’s seen a ghost.</p><p>If Eden remembered correctly, Vince addressed her as ‘Mary.’</p><p>“Um…” Eden gently tugged on her arm, attempting to reel it back against her chest with no avail. “Can I help you?” She finally asked, watching as a rollercoaster of emotion darted across Mary’s hazel eyes. There was recognition, shock, confusion, and at last, realization.</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” The woman slowly let go of Eden, allowing her to take a step back and create some distance between them. “I must’ve confused you with someone I know,” She said, though her expression seemed to suggest otherwise. “You were with Thomas’s group, correct?”</p><p>Eden nodded. “My name is Eden,” She introduced herself.</p><p>“I see… Eden…” Mary repeated thoughtfully as an indecipherable look shadowed across her aged features. “I’m Mary. Mary Cooper.”</p><p>“Right…” Eden couldn’t help but shift in discomfort under Mary’s gaze. For some reason, it felt as if she was studying her, observing her. Like there was something within Eden that the woman wanted, and she was determined to dig it out by any means.</p><p>“Um, Dr. Cooper? Is Brenda doing okay?” After summoning the courage she needed, Eden managed to voice her concerns out loud as she forced herself to meet the woman’s probing eyes. “I got a little worried, so I came looking for her.”</p><p>“Brenda?” Mary raised an eyebrow. “Ah, you mean the sick girl. She’s doing fine. I gave her something that’d slow the virus spreading through her brain. It’s not a cure, but it’ll do for now.”</p><p>Eden’s head perked up at that explanation. “You mean… the Bliss? You made the Bliss?”</p><p>Sensing the recognition in her tone, Mary narrowed her eyes. “Yes… that,” She studied the raven-haired girl from head to toe once more. “How did you know?”</p><p>“Oh, I did a little studying by myself,” She answered honestly. “I was a Medic back in my maze, so I have a little bit of an interest in science and medicine. When we were in the WICKED facility, I stole a binder containing-” Before she could even finish, Mary suddenly lunged forward to grab her by the shoulders, staring directly at her with widened eyes.</p><p>“You’re a Medic?!”</p><p>Eden flinched. Her body had instinctively tensed up at Mary’s abrupt movements, but she was a little confused that her occupation of all things was what triggered such a large reaction within the woman.</p><p>“Y-Yes, that’s what I said,” Eden recoiled. “Why? Is something wrong?”</p><p>Mary hesitated for a moment. Then without another word, she stepped back with an incomprehensible expression, giving back some of Eden’s personal space. “No,” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.</p><p>“Brenda is going to be fine for now,” She continued. “But you should know that it’s not a permanent solution.”</p><p>With her eyes flickering to the ground, Eden nodded. “The virus will eventually overwhelm the Succour injected into her bloodstream, and continue to progress towards her brain,” She pressed her lips together, seemingly lost in thought before snapping her gaze upwards to stare directly at the woman. “Dr. Cooper, I have a request for you.”</p><p>Mary stayed quiet as if urging her to continue.</p><p>“Please… Please take me on as an apprentice!” She shouted, causing a few people to look over in confusion.</p><p>“An apprentice?” Mary seemed taken aback.</p><p>“Y-Yes,” Despite the flush of embarrassment that began to rise in her cheeks, Eden continued to speak. “Most of my knowledge in medicine are in-theory. I’ve never really had many opportunities for hands-on experience or practical application. And I… I want to fix that.” She clutched her hands against her chest. “I want to be helpful to the Right Arm and my friends. I want to be able to do something if the situation were to require it. And I…” She bit her bottom lip. “I want to help find a permanent cure to the Flare!” She announced as the determination shimmer in her eyes like a starry sky.</p><p>Mary stilled.</p><p>It took a few seconds; but once her heat-of-the-moment declaration finally sunk into Eden’s mind, she immediately began to panic. Perhaps Minho’s words had hit her a bit too well.</p><p>“O-Of course,” She averted her eyes to the side, feeling her cheeks burn with mortification. “I can always just help out here and there. Like an assistant or something. And if that’s not okay either I’ll just come by and watch you work,” She quickly realized how creepy that sounds. “I-I mean observe your, erm, fruits of labour! Watch your skills on uh... full display!”</p><p>Watching as the young girl before her practically collapse into a bumbling mess, Mary couldn’t help but chuckle as Eden buried her face in her hands.</p><p>“It’s okay; I understand what you mean.” She said, resting a reassuring hand on the raven-haired girl’s shoulder as she peeked up from the depths of her palms.</p><p>“Dr. Cooper…”</p><p>“Mary is fine,” She smiled courteously. “And I accept your apprenticeship, Eden.”</p><p>For a moment there, Eden’s mind turned blank as she simply stared at the woman with goggled eyes. But once the gears in her head began to turn, so did her lips.</p><p>“R-Really?! You really mean it?” Her expression brightened.</p><p>“Of course,” Mary couldn’t help but feel a little endeared by her earnest reaction. “But be prepared, because it won’t be easy. I’m just providing you with the opportunity and resources, whether or not you’ll be able to catch up is entirely up to you.”</p><p>“I understand,” Eden nodded curtly. “You won’t regret this. I promise I’ll do my... best…” Her voice suddenly trailed off, causing Mary to lift a brow in estrangement.</p><p>“Is something wrong?”</p><p>“N-No, not really,” Eden murmured as she pressed her lips into a thin line. “I just… I hear something,” She gently cupped her hands up around her ears, trying to differentiate the faint foreign sound over the chattering members of the Right Arm.</p><p>Sure enough, there it was. A consistent machine-like whirring noise, echoing throughout the mountains like the chilling prelude to a war symphony. It was creeping closer and closer, like a beast on the sprawling hunt for its prey.</p><p>“It sounds... like a propeller…”</p><p>“Up there!” Someone yelled.</p><p>“The propeller of... a helicopter…” Slowly turning her head, Eden’s expression contorted into one of pure terror once she spotted the single Berg in the distant skies, accompanied by four large helicopters as they approached the camp at an alarming speed. Each of them possessed the acronyms WICKED, painted clear across their shiny metal bodies.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. [Chapter 13] ✙ All that was Lost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">[Chapter 13] ✙ <b>All that was Lost</b></span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>One of the helicopters dipped down low, launching a medium-sized missile that collided with one of the many supply tents on the outskirts of the camp. Upon impact, it immediately went up in flames as a mushroom-shaped cloud began to rise and expand through the cold night air.</p><p>Eden felt a strong gust of heat wash over her like a tidal wave, though her feet remained firmly planted to the ground, as did her eyes as they were fixated on the burning tent straight ahead.</p><p>People were screaming, frantically directing the able-bodied towards the firearm stash while those who already had a weapon in-hand did all they could to fight back against the incoming invaders. Mary had since vanished from her side in the chaos, presumably off to help the injured people who were struggling to evacuate the premises.</p><p>Eden wanted to help. She tried to move her body and join the fight, but for some reason, her limbs seemed so far-detached at the moment. She found herself unable to look away, merely staring ahead at the rising flames that threatened to engulf her whole.</p><p>She flinched, a sudden image darting across her mind.</p><p>
  <em>A burning building.</em>
</p><p>But it didn’t just stop there. Like a flickering projection screen, various other senses kept triggering in her nerves, one after another.</p><p>
  <em>Hasty footsteps.</em>
</p><p>“Ah…!”</p><p>
  <em>A hand that held a firm grip onto hers.</em>
</p><p>“Ah…! Ah!”</p><p>
  <em>A jumbled voice that told her to hurry.</em>
</p><p>It felt as if something was struggling to break out of her skull, thrashing against every being of her soul as it attempted to gain control of her limbs. She buried her head in her hands, trying her best to suppress the throbbing pain as the visions quickly overwhelmed her. Her body instinctively snapped forward as her lips parted, about to let out a guttural scream when-</p><p>“Eden!”</p><p>Someone’s voice rang out from her chaotic surroundings.</p><p>Accompanied by a set of heavy footsteps, a hand latched firmly onto Eden’s wrist, yanking it away from her head as she met Harriet’s intense stare with a dazed one of her own.</p><p>Just like that, the cloud of mist that previously muddled her mind vanished along with the pain, leaving nothing but that same empty void behind in its wake. The visions disappeared, as did the stranger’s repeated urges.</p><p>Eden blinked.</p><p>Despite the burning fires surrounding her, she somehow still felt a soft breeze brush against her cheek. It was if someone had purposefully covered her eyes, shielding her from those vivid images as she soon found herself unable to even recall what she had seen.</p><p>“What are you doing, you stick?!” Harriet yelled over the whirring helicopters. “Stand around like this, and you’ll end up dead in no time!”</p><p>“W-What’s going on?” Eden’s voice quivered. “How is WICKED here?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Harriet grumbled as she cast a spiteful look towards the sky. WICKED soldiers were being lowered to the ground, armed with rifles and their electric guns, which Eden previously learned were called ‘Launchers.’ They began shooting and capturing anyone and everyone they could get their hands on.</p><p>“Anyways, we gotta move!” Tightening her grip on Eden’s wrist, Harriet took off, carrying a black metal toolbox in her other hand.</p><p>“Wait!” Eden protested, trying her best to keep up and not get dragged along against the dirt in her haste. “What about the others?!”</p><p>“They can take care of themselves. <em>We </em>gotta get outta here. Now!”</p><p>“B-But..!”</p><p>“I made a promise to Marie that I’d protect you!” The brown-skinned girl snapped, stopping in her tracks for a brief moment as she turned to stare Eden dead in the eye. “I failed that once already, I’m not gonna let it happen again!”</p><p>Eden’s movements came to an abrupt halt at those words. After a few beats of silence, she slowly nodded with a renewed sense of conviction.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>“Harriet! Ammo!” Vince yelled as the girls arrived at the back of a pickup truck, a large calibre machine gun situated atop the cargo bed.</p><p>“It’s right here!” She bellowed, throwing the box onto the vehicle with undeniable haste. “Start loading them in; I’ll cover you!” She instructed as she reached for one of the many guns situated at the back.</p><p>Vince grunted, efficiently gunning down another WICKED soldier through the sniper scope before noticing Eden standing behind Harriet with a disoriented look. “You!” He shouted, practically scaring the raven-haired girl out of her skin.</p><p>“Y-Yes!”</p><p>“Take this!” He shoved his rifle into her clean and unscathed hands. “Cover me! This fifty’s our only chance!”</p><p>“W-W-Wha?!” Eden fumbled with the gun in her hands, struggling to hold onto it properly as it weighed on her like a ton of bricks. “I-I can’t-!” She stammered, frantically looking up at Vince, only to see him too preoccupied with setting up the machine gun to notice her struggles. “I…! I don’t know! I don’t know how-!”</p><p>“Eden!” As if responding to her panicked state, a familiar voice called out from behind and it nearly had her jumping for joy. She whipped her head around, delighted to see the Gladers, minus Thomas and Teresa, sprinting towards them at full-speed.</p><p>“Eden! Pass!” Newt gestured his out-stretched arms, and Eden wasted no time doing as told, tossing the gun in his general direction to which he easily caught in his arms. “Thanks,” Readjusting his grip on the trigger, he swiftly cocked the gun before looking back at her. “Get on the truck,” He said, doing his best to maintain a calm smile for her. “And stay behind me, okay?”</p><p>Clutching her trembling hands before her chest, Eden quickly nodded as she climbed onto the cargo bed. She turned around, watching on her hands and knees as Minho and Frypan also grabbed a firearm of their own, Minho picking up a rifle while Frypan held onto a pistol.</p><p>The four teenagers situated themselves around the truck, Harriet and Minho taking the left while Newt and Frypan took the right. They all looked so concentrated, stuck in a continuous cycle between shooting and reloading as they gunned down any WICKED soldiers they could spot with little to no hesitation behind their movements.</p><p>Eden felt her jaw clench, her eyes inadvertently misting over.</p><p>“Harriet!” She cried, crawling over to the dark-haired girl who shot down another approaching soldier with ease. “Is there anything I can do?” She asked over the tailgate of the vehicle. “Passing out supplies, ammunition, anything!”</p><p>Harriet cast her a brief glance, seemingly taken aback by her question before shifting her attention back towards the battlefield. “Pass out the magazines,” She told her. “They’re in the box!”</p><p>Swallowing hard, Eden nodded in understanding. She hurried to retrieve the black toolbox at Vince’s feet, finding that there was now a large space from where the ammunition belt for his machine gun used to be. At the base of it was a small compartment divider, one she wasted no time pulling out to reveal two separate stocks of firearm magazines.</p><p>“I need ammo!” Minho yelled back with an open palm, just in time with her discovery.</p><p>“R-Right, of course! Erm… It’s uh...”</p><p>“Long, curved one!” Harriet instructed.</p><p>“Y-Yes!” Quickly locating the designated pile as directed, Eden fished out the corresponding magazine before passing it to Minho, who immediately grabbed it and began reloading.</p><p>“Me too!” Frypan hollered from the other side of the truck.</p><p>“Straight ones!” Harriet informed without sparing a glance.</p><p>As Eden passed the pistol magazine to Frypan, her eyes lingered for a few seconds, watching as he inserted it through the gun’s handgrip and pulled the slide back.</p><p>Their resistance drew out for a few long minutes as the four teenagers on offence somehow managed to hold their grounds against the invaders. But the tide quickly turned against their favour as the other members of the Right Arm began to drop like flies against WICKED’s combination of Launchers and live bullets, allowing most of the guards’ attention to congregate towards them and the pick-up truck.</p><p>It was then, Eden heard a familiar scream in the distance.</p><p>“Aris?!” She poked her head out of the truck bed walls, only to feel a heated breeze graze against her right cheek.</p><p>
  <em>Huh?</em>
</p><p>The deafening sound of glass shattering rang out behind her.</p><p>“Eden!” Newt snapped his head around in a panic. Then with gritted teeth, he turned around and cocked his gun, quickly sniping down the soldier who once again began to take aim.</p><p>“Keep your head down, dammit!” Minho chided at her.</p><p>“S-Sorry,” Still in a distant daze, Eden barely got out an incoherent apology as she dropped her body low against the cold metal surface of the truck bed.</p><p>As another heated breeze blew by, strands of her now-singed hair tickled her cheek, sending a rattling chill throughout Eden’s body as she soon registered the feeling of something inching its way down the edge of her face. She reached up with a shaky hand, feeling around for the numbing spot on her skin.</p><p>
  <em>Warm.</em>
</p><p>She pulled back to inspect.</p><p>
  <em>Red. Like the Abyss.</em>
</p><p>Finally, it all hit Eden like a truck.</p><p>She had been shot.</p><p>Her jaw tightened as she began to imagine what would’ve happened if that gun had been fired even just an inch to the left.</p><p>The bullet would’ve torn through her flesh, blowing out her brains with little to no effort before exiting through the back of her skull.</p><p>Surely, her life would’ve been brought to an end right there and then.</p><p>Before she could ultimately gather her thoughts on the matter, Eden soon found her vision blurred over with tears. Confused, she tried to blink them away only for the moisture to spill over the corners of her eyes. She reached her hands up, attempting to wipe away the large droplets with the base of her palm only to find it futile as more simply gathered and gushed forth.</p><p>Hearing the small sniffles at his feet, Vince’s brows furrowed. “Why the hell are you crying?!” He snapped at the raven-haired girl, who only stiffened with his explosive voice.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry!” She stuttered, still trying her best to rid herself of those pathetic tears with no avail.</p><p>
  <em>Why was she crying?</em>
</p><p>She had absolutely no right to be crying under these circumstances, especially considering she wasn’t even seriously injured, with the bullet only grazing past her skin and hair. There were others outside, being shot through the chest, tranquillized with electric guns, and even beaten half-to-death by the swarms of WICKED soldiers. Compared to their horrific and unimaginable pain, the little sting on her cheek could barely even be considered a scratch.</p><p>Then, was it fear?</p><p>Fear of what? Dying? Getting shot?</p><p>Awfully rich coming from the person hiding behind her friends as they risk their necks against the enemy.</p><p>Through her disoriented vision, Eden saw her hands tremble as a torrent of complicated emotions muddled her thoughts. She chewed her bottom lip.</p><p>Was <em>this</em> really all she could do?</p><p>Beyond the back walls of the pick-up truck, Harriet hissed as a bullet scarcely missed her shoulder. “We’re gonna be outnumbered soon!” She shouted.</p><p>“Vince, hurry up!” Newt yelled as he cocked his gun. “We’re losing our ground!”</p><p>“Just a little more!”</p><p>“I’m out!” Frypan turned around in a panic, snapping Eden out of her train of thought.</p><p>“R-Right,” She peered into the ammunition box through her blurry eyes.</p><p>“Look out!”</p><p>Just as she reached out to grab the corresponding magazine, Newt’s voice, combined with something tapping against the metal box’s side, drew her attention away, spotting a small pill-like contraption flashing a bright blue.</p><p>“Huh? What is-?”</p><p>“SHIT!”</p><p>With Vince’s desperate cry, a spark of blue exploded from the device. Eden felt a jolting pain surge through her system, travelling down her spine and spreading a burning heat throughout her body as she convulsed beyond control. Along with the others, she collapsed against the truck bed with a small whimper in agony, her final sights being the blue electricity dancing between her twitching fingertips before blacking out.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>It was a darkened night in the Glen, and the rain poured from the skies like a never-ending waterfall was especially not helping. Amid such a downpour, Marie found herself on lookout duty in the rickety wooden tower by one of the Maze’s many gates. It was a suggestion made by Ximena not too long into their time in the Glen. Sure, the routine of the gates closing during the night had long been established through the daily spectacle and rumblings. However, the First-in-Command still felt they couldn’t rely on such familiarity within estranged circumstances. And as a result of that, each of the girls would take their turns on watch; keeping an eye on the large doors just in case they’d somehow break the protocol and open during the night, allowing the Shade to crawl out and completely massacre them without a moment’s notice.</p><p>And as per usual, Eden would insist on accompanying the blonde during her shift.</p><p>Though on this night, in particular, Marie couldn’t quite figure out if it were out of courtesy or the thunder that crackled in the skies, evident by how much she was trembling in her arm.</p><p>“Goodness gracious,” She gingerly ran a hand through her friend’s dark hair. “You’re a lotta work; you know that?”</p><p>“I-I’m sorry-eek!” Her words transformed into frightened shriek just in time with another clash of thunder and lightning. In the brilliant flash of light, Marie briefly caught sight of her cowering figure, along with the brief specs of tears that gathered at the corner of her eyes.</p><p>Marie couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at the terrified expression that plagued the girl’s face. She knew it was wrong of her to find amusement in her precious friend’s greatest fears, but there was a part of her that simply couldn’t hide the hints of pride and adoration when she realized that Eden’s first instinct in her most vulnerable and fearful times would be to seek her out like a little lost puppy.</p><p>While she was happy about that, there was also a part of her that couldn’t help but worry.</p><p>What’s going to happen if she could no longer stay by her side anymore? Not that she had any plans to leave Eden anytime soon, but what if the thunder or lightning caught her on a day in which she was out mapping the Maze? What would happen then? Was she just going to leave Eden to curl up and cry on her own?</p><p>The thought alone made her heart wrench with pain.</p><p>“There, there,” As one of her hands rubbed Eden’s back in reassurance, the other reached for the thin blanket they kept specifically for those on lookout. Throwing the fabric up into the air, she carefully draped it over Eden’s head as she peeled her body away.</p><p>“See?” She chuckled, cupping her hands against Eden’s ears through the fraying material. “I’m right here. So there’s no need to be afraid anymore.”</p><p>Eden sniffled as she stared into her friend’s blue-green eyes.</p><p>“Everything is gonna be okay, Edie,” Marie whispered, gently pulling the trembling girl further into her arms. “Don’t think about it too much. Come on, just relax.”</p><p>Snuggled against her chest, Eden nodded timidly as she revelled in the feeling of Marie’s gentle hand brushing through her dampened hair.</p><p>Shifting her body ever-so-slightly so she could rest her head on the blonde’s shoulder, Eden closed her eyes. “Hey, Marie?” She murmured, feeling herself grow a little drowsy.</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Why did you start calling me ‘Edie?’”</p><p>“That’s a good question,” Marie’s eyes flickering upwards with thought. “I guess you’ve always given me that ‘Edie’ vibe as a person.”</p><p>Eden’s brows furrowed. “W-What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“Well…” Marie hummed. “It means you’ve always given me the feeling that I have to protect you,” She said, casting a comforting smile in the direction of the raven-haired girl. “Like right now, I’m protecting you from the thunderstorm, aren’t I? As long as I’m protecting you, you’ll always be my little Edie. Whether you like it or not.” She gave a cheeky grin.</p><p>It was barely noticeable, but Eden’s eyes dulled a little at her words. She couldn’t argue there, not even in the slightest.</p><p>“Marie?” Instead, she called out to her friend once more.</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Can you sing for me?”</p><p>Lips curling upwards, Marie leaned in to rest her head against Eden’s. With her lips parted, she began to sing.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Yet that same warm, gentle tune slowly began to dissolve as Eden felt a sudden yank on her upper arm. Her eyes flickered groggily as she was dragged across the rough ground, trying her best to lull her sense back into that pleasant memory. However, the cold, harsh reality forcefully lodged into focus as she was thrown to her knees, sending a sharp pain through her body as she winced in surprise.</p><p>“You okay?” Kneeling to her right, Frypan asked with a concerned expression.</p><p>Eden blinked a few times. “Y-Yeah,” She murmured, panting heavily. “Yeah, I’m alright.”</p><p>It was then she saw Sonya getting dragged by the collar, before being thrown to the ground next to Aris on the other side of Frypan. Then, a different soldier grabbed hold of her, forcing her head down towards the ground as they held a green scanning device over her the back of her neck.</p><p>“B-5,” He readout.</p><p>Eden couldn’t help but shiver at his apathetic attitude. Being delegated to nothing but a letter and number. That’s what WICKED saw them as. Cattle.</p><p>“Damnit,” She heard Harriet grumble to her left. “How the finch this happen?”</p><p>“Well, for starters: we were electrocuted by their little zappy-zap bombs and-”</p><p>“Slim it, Minho,” Newt hissed between the two. “Can’t you learn to keep your mouth shut for once?”</p><p>“I’m not talking about that, you crackhead,” Ignoring the blond, Harriet glared past him and directly at the Asian boy on the other side of the line. “I’m talking about how they even found us in the first place. We’ve always made sure to cover our tracks. You can’t tell me it’s a coincidence the same day you guys arrive is the same day <em>we</em> get ambushed.”</p><p>“Harriet, it’s not- eek!” Just as she attempted to mend the brewing tension between the two, a hand gruffly grasped the back of her head, causing her to let out a shriek in terror as she was shoved down.</p><p>“Eden!?”</p><p>“I-I’m fine,” Eden whimpered, trying to hold as still as possible despite her trembling frame. She could hear the whirring of the scanner as it swept the back of her neck, taking whatever information it required before beeping in content.</p><p>“B-6,” The man announced, finally letting Eden go and moving onto Harriet, who was next in line.</p><p>Janson oversaw these events, his joyful expression faltering slightly when he counted up the numbers and noticed a missing face. “Where’s Thomas?” He growled, a chilling gaze slowly solidifying on his features.</p><p>“Right here,” Said boy’s familiar voice rang out over the crackling flames as he appeared at the back of the captured escapees. He held his hands up as a WICKED guard rushed over with a Launcher in hand, shoving him along towards the front of the group where Janson waited with a crazed look in his darkened eyes.</p><p>“Thomas,” He purred, gently resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder before punching him straight in the gut, causing him to double over with a grunt in pain. “Get him in line,” He then instructed with a self-satisfying chuckle.</p><p>Eden couldn’t help but cringe a little as she watched Thomas struggle to sit upright. Yet the defiant look in his eyes never wavered as he glared up at the rat-faced man.</p><p>“Why didn't you run?” She heard Minho huff.</p><p>“I'm tired of running.”</p><p>Minho pressed his lips together, looking as if he was about to say something when another series of whirring noises cut him off. Everyone turned their attention to the sky, curiously searching for this new sound’s origin point until they spotted a large aircraft tearing through the puffs of smoke that rose into the night sky. A beam of fluorescent light shot down from above, gracefully sweeping across the Right Arm camp as the propellers whisked up a storm of sand and dirt. Eden reached up to shield her face, trying her best to keep her eyes open as she watched the majestic machine land in a clearing before them. A ramp drew open from the body of the vehicle, lowering down to the ground in a controlled and precise manner to reveal several figures bathed in a blue-tinged light. Six guards carrying Launchers marched out in pairs, escorting a middle-aged woman dressed head to toe in white - a stark contrast against the night’s grim and dark atmosphere.</p><p>Eden felt her blood run cold at the woman’s sight, having instantly recognized her upon spotting her golden blonde hair that practically glowed in the surrounding fire.</p><p>Dr. Ava Paige.</p><p>She shivered. Despite hearing from Thomas that the video had been a lie, it still felt surreal to see the woman who had supposedly blown her brains out, alive and walking.</p><p>She paced over towards Janson, eyes briefly scanning over the captured subjects. “Is this all of them?”</p><p>“Most of them,” Janson replied, causing the woman to frown. “It'll be enough,” He assured.</p><p>Ava pursed her lips together, seeming lost in thought for a moment before heaving out a sigh. “Start loading them in,” She instructed curtly.</p><p>“Yes, ma'am,” Receiving his orders, Janson then turned his attention to the waiting guards. “Alright, let's go! Get 'em on!”</p><p>With that command, the several dozen guards were immediately set into motion. They closed in on the escapees, dragging those in the back row to their feet and forcefully shoving them in the direction of the waiting aircraft.</p><p>Ava’s attention then turned to Thomas. Raising a hand, she gestured one of the guards to bring him forward. “Hello, Thomas,” She spoke, not at all phased by the obstinate expression she received in return.</p><p>Then, a familiar figure approached from the side, escorted by two guards.</p><p>“I'm glad you're safe, Teresa,” Ava said, resting a hand on the girl’s shoulder.</p><p>Eden’s eyes rounded.</p><p>“What the hell?” Minho murmured as he and the rest of the Gladers rose to their feet, gathering behind Thomas with looks of confusion.</p><p>“Teresa?” Frypan called out.</p><p>“Wait, what's going on?” Newt questioned, his gaze darting between the girl and Ava Paige.</p><p>“She's with them,” Thomas muttered under his breath, his expression indecipherable as he met Teresa’s fleeting gaze.</p><p>Eden felt her heart drop to the pits of her stomach.</p><p>“Since when?” Minho asked.</p><p>“Oh, Teresa's always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good,” Janson chuckled to himself, casually patting Teresa’s upper arm as he strode to the other side of Ava Paige. “Once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time,” He said, staring Thomas dead in the eye.</p><p>Through the emotional turmoil and surrounding chaos, some of the guards had since grabbed Sonya and Aris along with many others, tearing them away from the main group and towards the aircraft. But Eden couldn’t take her eyes off the blue-eyed girl that stood before them. The Traitor.</p><p>At that moment, all she could hear were Minho’s words from earlier in the day.</p><p>Teresa bit her bottom lip, her large eyes growing glossy as she took in each of her friends’ looks of hostility and betrayal. “I'm sorry, I had no other choice,” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “ This is the only way. We have to find a cure.”</p><p>“She's right,” Ava agreed, drawing all attention back to herself as she gestured the Right Arm camp overtaken by flames. “This is all just a means to an end,” She explained. “You used to understand that, Thomas. No matter what you think of me, I am not a monster. I'm a doctor.” She announced, causing Eden’s body to jolt in recognition.</p><p>“I just need more time,” She heard the woman whisper.</p><p>The raven-haired girl snapped her gaze up from the ground, practically burning holes of disbelief into the woman’s profile as her breathing grew ragged.</p><p>
  <em>Was she serious?</em>
</p><p>“More blood.”</p><p>Before the creeping sense of fury could completely engulf her vision, Eden heard a familiar voice speak out over the chaos, effectively latching her senses back onto reality as she turned her head in surprise.</p><p>Mary had shaken free of the masked guard that attempted to drag her away. Now on her two feet, she stood toe-to-toe against the WICKED doctor, glaring at her with a fierce look of disapproval.</p><p>“Hello, Mary,” Ava greeted the woman. “I hoped we'd meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”</p><p>Brushing a few strands of unkempt hair out of her face, Mary stood a little taller. “I'm sorry about a lot of things, too,” She said. “But not this. At least my conscience is clear.”</p><p>Ava paused for a moment, keenly studying Mary’s determined expression. “So is mine,” She replied.</p><p>Mary shook her head, about to open her mouth and respond when a deafening sound suddenly tore through the heated air. Eden’s eyes grew wide as they panned down Mary’s body, spotting the crimson blot that began to expand at her abdomen.</p><p>Janson, the perpetrator of such a heinous act, simply lowered his gun. A self-satisfied smirk twitching at his lips.</p><p>“Mary? Mary?!” At first, Vince’s words came out as nothing but a whisper. But they were quickly transformed into cries of agony and rage as the brown-haired woman began to crumble towards the ground, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.</p><p>Eden felt her jaw unhinged, and she heard a scream echo in the distance. Though she couldn’t quite tell if the voice belonged to herself or someone else, she soon found herself attempting to reach the dying woman. However, her efforts were quickly proven to be in vain when one of the many WICKED guards lunged forth. Securing an iron-grip on her arm and shoulder, he yanked her back with all his might, leaving her thrashing in a state of futile resistance.</p><p>“Let go of me!” She screamed, keeping her gaze fixated on Mary as the light in her eyes rapidly dulled down. “I can help! I can still help her!”</p><p>“Mary?” Vince cried out one last time, watching helplessly as the woman fell limp in his arms. “NO!” He let out a guttural roar.</p><p>Eden felt her legs nearly give out at the horrific sight before her. In fact, if it were not for the WICKED guard holding her up, she was almost certain she would’ve collapsed right there and then.</p><p>“Why…?” She murmured, her vision grew watery as she watched Vince sob, cradling Mary in his arms. “Why would you let her die like that?!” Sucking in a sharp breath through her teeth, she turned to glare directly at Ava Paige, who kept her brown eyes glued to Mary’s lifeless corpse.</p><p>“You’re a doctor, aren’t you?!” Eden shouted. “What kind of doctor would just let someone die before their eyes like that?! You talk of finding a cure when all of this…” Her trembling hands balled into tight fists. “The Flare… The Cranks…”</p><p>Newt’s eyes widened in alarm, realizing what Eden was about to say.</p><p>“Don’t act so high and mighty when all of this-!”</p><p>“Eden!”</p><p>In a fit of desperation to stop her, he cried out to her with all the strength his lungs and vocal cords would allow, causing the raven-haired girl to flinch up in shock.</p><p>While his outcry had its intended effect on Eden, it also seemed to pique Ava Paige’s interests.</p><p>“Eden..?” The woman whispered under her breath, immediately diverting her attention to the Asian girl’s shell-shocked expression. Raising a hand, she gestured for the guard to bring her closer.</p><p>As Eden was forced to peer up into Ava Paige’s dark brown eyes, all the rage, anger and ferocity within her system suddenly vanished like dust, leaving nothing but a chilling sense of fear in its wake. Her body began to quiver against her will, watching as Ava’s brows knitted together for a brief moment before relaxing.</p><p>“You…” She murmured, a brief flash of joy and relief darting across her wrinkled features. “I’m glad to see you alive, Eden.”</p><p>“H-Huh?”</p><p>Minho raised an eyebrow. “What now?”</p><p>“Do you know her?” Harriet asked cautiously.</p><p>“N-No! I don’t!” Eden frantically shook her head. “I’ve never seen her in my life!” Yet, for some twisted reason, she found herself unable to look away from the woman’s protruding eyes.</p><p>“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Ava spoke, her gaze seemingly softening a little at the recollection of some distant memory. “You’re-” Her lips parted, looking as if she were about to say something before gently shaking her head. “No, nevermind,” She said. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”</p><p>Shifting her attention to the side, Ava then cast Mary’s stiffened corpse one final glance before turning on her heel. “Load them up, Janson,” She instructed as she took Teresa by the arm. “Come on, let’s go.”</p><p>Eden’s eyes widened in terror as she felt the guard shove her body forward, intent on dragging her along towards Ava Paige and the closest aircraft.</p><p>“No...” She whimpered, doing her best to put up a resistance despite her mental and physical exhaustion. Though all her efforts seemed to be in vain, especially without all the lashing rage and sorrow backing her up. “Let go of me, please...!”</p><p>“Eden!” Harriet cried.</p><p>Thomas pressed his lips together, his body tensing as the muzzle of a Launcher dug into his spine. He took a few staggering steps forward before suddenly turning around, elbowing the guard in the head as he pulled out two strange-looking devices from his pockets.</p><p>“Get back!” He yelled, holding up a bomb like contraption as if it were a threat of some sort. “Everyone, freeze!”</p><p>His actions set about another wave of mass panic through the crowd as several guards prepared to detain him, only for Janson to rush in, gesturing for them to stand down.</p><p>“Everyone, stand back!” He ordered. “Hold your fire!”</p><p>The guard escorting Eden froze as well, holding the girl not too far away from the main group as she looked on in a mixture of daze and confusion.</p><p>“Stand back…” Thomas huffed out a breath, his hands trembling ever-so-slightly as it clutched onto the remote detonator. “Stand back and let 'em go!”</p><p>“Thomas, put it down.”</p><p>“I said, let 'em all go!” Ignoring Janson’s low warning, Thomas snapped back.</p><p>“You know I can't do that!” Ava interjected sternly.</p><p>“Thomas, please stop,” Teresa pleaded, her voice shaky as she looked her now-former friends in the eyes. “I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. <em>All</em> of us.”</p><p>“And I'm supposed to trust you now?” Thomas challenged, casting the girl an incredulous look.</p><p>“It's true. It was her only condition,” Ava said.</p><p>“Shut up!”</p><p>“Everything can go back to the way it was,” Despite Thomas’s explosive attitude, Ava continued to speak as she gingerly approached the agitated boy. “Thomas... Do you really want all of them to die?” She asked, gesturing the Gladers, the Glenners and the entire Right Arm camp.</p><p>“Listen to her, Thomas,” Janson chimed in. “Think about what you're doing.”</p><p>There was a brief moment when Thomas fell silent. His dark-brown eyes flickered across each of the surrounding faces, taking in the looks of uncertainty, fear and horror that were directed towards him. However, just when he felt as if he was going to lower the bomb in his hand, a gentle touch on his shoulder had him rethinking that decision.</p><p>“We're with you, Thomas,” Newt said, appearing by the boy’s side and giving him a nod of reassurance.</p><p>“Do it, Thomas,” Minho was the next to step forward alongside Frypan.</p><p>“We're ready,” The stocky boy held his breath.</p><p>“No,” Teresa’s eyes widened in horror. “This isn’t...”</p><p>With a renewed sense of conviction, Thomas tightened his grip on the remote detonator. He shifted his attention towards Eden, watching as the raven-haired girl simply squeezed her eyes shut in resignation. “We're not going back there,” With his jaw clenched, he then turned back to Ava, Teresa and Janson. “It's the only way.”</p><p>With his thumb hovering over the big red button, Thomas was about to press down only for the sudden honking of a horn to cut through the rigid tension. Everyone spun around with their eyes shot wide, watching as a beaten-up truck flew over a mountain of rubble, a familiar, maniacal scream trailing in its wake. It zoomed across the burning camp, tanking several onslaughts of bullets before ramming into the closest helicopter. As the aircraft tipped over, the running propellers whisked up another storm of dust and debris, causing the surrounding area to spiral into another field of chaos.</p><p>With that brief moment of distraction, whatever Right Arm members left on the field began to launch a counterattack against WICKED. People lunged for the masked soldiers, effectively knocking them out and snatching their weapons. Amidst the mayhem, Eden felt a gruff yank on her arm.</p><p>“Get moving!” The guard behind her yelled, attempting to follow Janson’s orders as he dragged her towards the waiting aircraft.</p><p>“W-Wait, no!”</p><p>Upon hearing her desperate protests, Minho snapped his head in her direction. “Duck!” He shouted, charging towards her with his fist raised.</p><p>Eden did as she was told without even bothering to question why, allowing Minho to land a clean hit on the guard’s face, sending him sprawling to the ground.</p><p>In that split second, Eden felt her knees give out beneath her. She was just about to collapse to the ground from the overwhelming sense of exhaustion, only for Minho to catch her by the shoulders.</p><p>“Newt!” He looked back in search of his friend, eyes lighting up upon locating the familiar tuff of blond hair. “Catch!” He quickly shoved the raven-haired girl in his general direction, huffing out a satisfied smirk when Newt moved to catch her snug in his chest. “Get outta here, both of you!” He instructed before running off to join the fight.</p><p>“Minho...!” Eden’s voice came out in a barely audible squeak.</p><p>“Come on!” Newt ushered, grabbing her by the hand as he tugged her along. “We gotta get outta here, now!”</p><p>“R-Right,” Peering up at the blond with misted eyes, Eden nodded. She hurried to catch up, though it wasn’t that difficult with the minor limp in his steps.</p><p>Newt led her further away from the chaos. Taking shelter behind a few oversized supply crates, he took a quick peek over his shoulder to ensure that there were no guards within the vicinity before turning to stare Eden dead in the eye.</p><p>“Listen to me,” His breathing was frantic.“You can’t let them know that you know.”</p><p>“Huh? K-Know what…?”</p><p>“The Flare, the Virus, anything,” He reached up to cup her cheeks in his hands, holding her as steadily as possible despite his own trembling palms. “I don’t know if you know this, but Mary used to work for WICKED,” He revealed, causing Eden’s eyes to grow wide.</p><p>“W-What?” She stuttered. “Mary was…?”</p><p>“She was a WICKED scientist. She knew about the origins of the Flare” Newt paused for a moment, his lips pressing into a thin line as he attempted to drown out the gunshots that rang out in the distance. “Thomas told us earlier, and I think that’s why Janson killed her,”</p><p>“Just by knowing the origins of Flare?!” Eden was in disbelief.</p><p>“This is incriminating evidence against the foundation of their organization,” Newt countered sharply. “In the current state of the world, as shucked up as it is, WICKED is top dog. They have the manpower, the technology and the resources. People are willing to sell out old friends just to play their side of the game,” As he spoke, Eden couldn’t help but notice the sorrow and pain that resonated within his eyes. She felt her heart drop as she remembered the events that had transpired mere moments ago.</p><p>Shaking off the unpleasant memory, Newt continued. “If the truth were to get out, the people, and not just the Right Arm, would turn against them. It’ll spark a civil war, and this messed-up world is only gonna get even crazier than it already is. That’s why…” He drew a deep breath. “That’s why they're trying to silence anyone who knows the truth.”</p><p>Eden’s body instinctively flinched up as she realized what that meant; the sight of Mary’s arm going limp briefly flashed across her mind.</p><p>Would the same fate befall upon her? Just for knowing the truth?</p><p>Newt seemed to have read her thoughts as his features softened a little. “Hey, hey,” He hushed, tenderly brushing his thumb across the apples of her cheek, trying to wipe away the crusted blood that had dried over from that previous gun scare. “It’s going to be alright,” He whispered. “I know the same thing, remember? You’re not alone in this.”</p><p>However, those words didn’t seem to have the intended effect as Eden’s face only fell in horror.</p><p>
  <em>That’s right.</em>
</p><p>She was the one who told Newt. Because of her, because she had stolen that file, because she selfishly decided she wanted to learn more about the outside world, now both of their lives could be in grave danger.</p><p>“Oh my gosh…” She uttered under her breath, eyes dropping to the dirt ground beneath her as she ran both hands through her black hair. “I-I’m so sorry, Newt. Because of me, because I didn’t think- I didn’t realize-” Her attempts at speaking were quickly put to a rigid halt as Newt jerked her head up by the chin, forcing her to look at him.</p><p>“Don’t apologize,” His expression was stern again. “Don’t you dare apologize for this. I don’t regret learning the truth. Not now, or not ever.”</p><p>Eden’s eyes went wide. Despite the heat of her surroundings, she could somehow feel a chilling jolt rattle down her spine and spread through her body, making her feel as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.</p><p>The truth is, Eden wasn’t sorry for learning the truth. Not even a little. She’d rather take the bitter truth over some made-up lie any time of the day. But what she truly regretted, what she was genuinely apologizing for, was how she ended up dragging Newt into this convoluted mess. If it weren’t for her, he could’ve probably lived the rest of his life in ignorance, unknown to the horrors behind the Flare, oblivious to how a single organization, how a single woman drove the world to the breaking point.</p><p>And yet, to hear him say he didn’t regret it either…</p><p>She thought back to her anti-apology lessons with Minho, a wrinkle creasing on her forehead as she breathed a weary sigh. It seems that the idea of changing herself was a little easier said than done. Nevertheless...</p><p>“You’re right,” Eden’s voice trembled as she overlapped his hand with her own, gently removing it from her chin and guiding it upwards. “I won’t apologize, so I’ll say this instead,” She held his palm against the round of her cheek. “Thank you,” Looking up at him, she leaned into his touch with a soft smile. “Thank you for stopping me then, and for being here with me now.”</p><p>She was going to try her best, to keep taking strides towards making that change.</p><p>At those words and simple gestures, Newt felt something shift in his chest. His senses were suddenly made acutely aware of how close she was, and how much her body was quivering despite the bravery those words conveyed. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t a result of their surroundings literally being on fire.</p><p>He could hear the sound of Vince’s calibre machine gun firing off rapidly in the background, accompanied by the man’s rage-filled screams. But for some reason, he couldn’t take her eyes off of her. He felt as if he was witnessing something incredibly, like the seeds of something had been sewn into place, right before him.</p><p>However, the moment didn’t last long, as a WICKED guard rounded the corner of the supply crate, raising his Launcher once he spotted the two.</p><p>“I’ve secured two more escapees!” He shouted into his communication device. “You two, on your feet- ahh!”</p><p>But his threatening words quickly twisted into a scream of pain when a loud gunshot rang out, tearing through the man’s chest and sending him crumbling to the ground. Eden shrieked, instinctively backing away from the man who bled and convulsed while Newt popped his head out. Following the trajectory of the bullet, he noticed Brenda standing on the back of a truck with a satisfied grin.</p><p>“Get moving!” She yelled as she cocked her rifle, preparing herself to take aim another guard who was hot on Thomas’s heels.</p><p>Newt nodded. “Come on,” Leaning down, he grabbed Eden by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “We gotta get outta here, it’s not safe.”</p><p>“Y-Yes, let’s go,” Eden agreed. Glancing around at the burning field, she could see the WICKED guards were pushing forward despite the initial setback, trying to recapture as many escapees as possible. All of the helicopters had already taken to the skies, hovering over their heads as the snipers fired down from above. The large aircraft Ava Paige arrived in was the only one that remained on the ground, and in the blue light, Eden could faintly see the Chancellor and Teresa making their way into the vehicle.</p><p>Eden shivered at the sight of the woman, the memories of their latest interaction sending a shiver up her spine. Pressing her lips together, she yanked on Newt’s hand, internally praying she’d never cross paths with Ava Paige again.</p><p>“This way,” She pointed towards the darkened hills further up north, already taking a few steps forward. “If we get into the darkness, the helicopters will have a difficult time aiming.”</p><p>As Newt nodded in understanding, the two of them began their escape further uphill. Many of the others seemed to have gotten the same idea as more and more people congregated upwards, all desperate to flee from the pressing WICKED guards.</p><p>At some point, they ran past Minho, who had retrieved a gun from the ground, resolving to hold the guards off and allow time for the others to escape.</p><p>“Minho?!” Newt slowed down a little, barely managing to recognize his friend through the chaotic surroundings.</p><p>“I can handle myself!” Minho chided. “Just get outta here! Hurry!”</p><p>Eden bit her bottom lip as she gently yanked on Newt’s hand to urge him forward. “Be careful, please!” She called back.</p><p>Thomas was close behind them. Hopping over a few barrels, he was just about to catch up with Newt and Eden when he caught sight of Frypan already hidden behind a line of smaller supply crates.</p><p>“Over there!” He directed, nearly body slamming the two of them into Frypan before turning back. “Minho, let’s go!” He hollered.</p><p>A faint smile appeared on Minho’s face once he received the signal. Knowing his friends were now secured and out of sight, he cocked his gun, about to fire at another approaching guard when an unfamiliar, hollow sound rang out from the machine. His face paled.</p><p>He was out of ammunition.</p><p>Using that split second of confusion, one of the guards fired his Launcher, casting an electric clamp that latched right onto Minho’s chest.</p><p>“Minho!” Thomas screamed, attempting to run out only for a stray shot to hold him in his place.</p><p>Minho dropped the gun, body spasming beyond his control as the blue electrical currents ran rampant across his limbs, bringing him to his knees as he leaned back on a supply crate for support. He attempted to crawl away from the approaching guards, face contorted in pain and despair.</p><p>“Minho!” With another shout, Thomas dashed into the open.</p><p>“Thomas, come back!” Newt chased after him, Frypan following close behind.</p><p>“Oh my gosh...” Eden’s hands trembled before her mouth, watching from afar as Jorge appeared out of seemingly nowhere, shooting down another WICKED guard with a revolver in one hand as the other held Thomas back as best he could. Frypan and Newt soon caught up, trying their best to stop their frantically screaming leader from doing anything rash. Minho was now being taken away, two guards each held a firm grip on his underarm as they dragged him toward the large aircraft where Ava and Teresa waited.</p><p>Eden looked around in a panic, desperately searching for anything she could use to help in the situation.</p><p>Her eyes landed on a small pistol that had been thrown to the ground amidst the battle.</p><p>Without much time to think, she dove for the weapon. Following the motions she observed from Frypan, she pulled the slide back and lined the muzzle up with one of the WICKED guards’ head.</p><p>Yet much to her dismay, her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.</p><p>Her aim wandered between the guard’s head, the empty, burning fields, and Minho. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm her rapidly pounding heart but nothing seemed to stabilize her aim. Minho was being taken further and further away, and Thomas’s screams grew more and more desperate. Unable to think of any other option, Eden squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger.</p><p>What came after was a blur.</p><p>A loud, almost explosion-like sound rang out and Eden felt an overwhelming force push against her arm. It shoved her backwards and forced her to lose grip of the pistol, sending her tumbling to the ground with a frightened shriek.</p><p>Despite the pain from that gun recoil and the ringing in her ears, Eden quickly scrambled to her feet. Leaning over the supply crates, her eyes searched expectantly for what her shot might have done. Thankfully, Minho didn’t seem to have taken a hit anywhere, but neither did the guards. They continued to drag the boy further away, up the ramp and into the blue light of the cockpit.</p><p>
  <em>Ah.</em>
</p><p>Then it hit her.</p><p>
  <em>The recoil must’ve knocked my shot upwards.</em>
</p><p>At that simple thought, a crushing sensation suddenly weighed down on Eden. It was a sobering feeling, one even more so than the one she felt during her conversation with Newt. Every limb in her body, every ounce her existence felt meagre, like she was nothing but a speck of dirt in the vastness of the universe.</p><p>It left a bitter taste in her mouth.</p><p>The bitter taste of regret.</p><p>It was then she felt a hand drop down onto her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to see Brenda’s frustrated expression.</p><p>“Come on!” The olive-skinned girl beckoned, gruffly shoving Eden further uphill. “We gotta keep moving!”</p><p>Eden didn’t respond. She couldn’t find the words to. So instead of speaking, she allowed herself to be pulled along, catching up to Thomas whose desperate cries tore through the night, his thrashing limbs barely held back by a combined effort from Jorge, Newt and Frypan.</p><p>They stopped a little further up, standing on a shallow cliff that overlooked the once lively campgrounds completely engulfed in flames.</p><p>People, adults and children, alike were screaming. It was a blood-curdling scream. One that shook Eden to her core as she watched several teenagers kick and writhe against the grasps of WICKED guards, putting up the last of their resistances before being knocked out by the Launcher or a sharp blow to the neck. And the intense, growing heat only continued to expand outwards, not at all helped by the whirring propellers of the aircraft. The flames demanded that anything in its path was to be disintegrated into ashes; whatever material items, anything concrete that the Right Arm worked to get their hands on, was set free into the air as dirty smoke, robbing them of a beautiful crescent moon and velvet sky. Inside the aircraft, she could faintly see Minho being handed over to several other masked guards who held his limp body upright as if to dangle before them like some kind of prize.</p><p>Eden swallowed thickly. She wished she could burn her brain too; burn out the memories, the pain, and that suffocating feeling that weighed upon her chest. In the end, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t change the cogs of fate. She was just another pair of eyes, watching helplessly as the silhouettes of Minho, Ava, Janson and Teresa disappeared behind the closing doors of the WICKED vehicle.</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>Carefully pulling a piece of fabric to cover another lifeless body, Eden pressed her hands together and offered another silent prayer for the twentieth time that morning. She couldn’t remember if she was religious or not, before the Solar Storms or the Flare outbreak. But praying seemed to be the only course of action she could conjure in the moment. Offering a wish for the dead, enemy and ally alike, well in whatever was next in-store. So that perhaps in their next life, they wouldn’t be roped into such a ruinous world, riddled with senseless violence and brutality.</p><p>Most of the fires had since been put out since that massacre the previous night, with a few flames still flickering here and there. Charred pieces of wood, dead bodies, various weapons and WICKED equipment littered the campsite. White smoke blanketed the dirt ground, rolling and rising towards the cloudless sky, oblivious to the disaster that took place mere hours ago.</p><p>“What do we do now?” Sitting atop a pile of rubble, Frypan asked.</p><p>Vince looked towards the boy. “Well, we pick up what's left of us. We stick to the plan, and we get you kids to the safe haven,” He paused, slowly standing up as his gaze swept over what was left of the Right Arm. “Then we start over, I guess.”</p><p>Thomas pressed his lips together. Then, after a brief moment of thought, he grabbed a nearby pack and stood up. “I'm not going with you,” He said.</p><p>“What?” Vince was confused.</p><p>“I made a promise to Minho,” Thomas stated, awkwardly readjusting his back. “I said that I wouldn't leave him behind. I have to go after him.”</p><p>“Thomas…” Eden stood up, her voice barely a whisper.</p><p>“Hey, kid, look around you. All right?” Vince spoke firmly, gesturing whatever was left of the Right Arm camp. “WICKED just kicked our ass. You think about where you're headed.”</p><p>“I'm not asking anyone to come with me.”</p><p>“Thomas, listen to me,” Newt spoke up, gingerly taking a few steps closer towards the boy with chestnut-brown hair. “I've known Minho for... Well, as long as I can remember. So if there was any way that we could help him, trust me, I would be up there standing next to you. This, what you're talking about,” He drew a deep breath. “It’s impossible.”</p><p>“More like suicide,” Jorge chimed in, Brenda alongside him.</p><p>“Maybe, but I know what I'm supposed to do now,” Thomas murmured as he leaned down to pick up an undamaged rifle and slung it over his shoulder. “It's not just about Minho. It's about all of us. It's about everyone WICKED's ever taken, everyone they will take. They'll never stop. They'll never stop, so I'm gonna stop them,” His determined eyes fell to the small group of people that began to gather around him. “I'm gonna kill Ava Paige.”</p><p>“I have to admit,” Harriet pursed her lips. “I'd like some revenge.”</p><p>Vince’s eyes seemed dull a little at the word ‘revenge,’ Mary’s last moments undoubtedly coming to mind. “Well, that's a good speech, kid,” He hummed, lifting his gaze to stare at Thomas expectantly. “So, what's your plan?”</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>“Excuse me, Vince?”</p><p>Drawn by the call of his name, the tall, stocky man peered over his shoulder, spotting the silhouette of the petite, Asian girl standing against the darkness of the wasteland-like landscape.</p><p>“What?” He questioned, turning his attention back to collecting whatever guns or weapons he could salvage after last night’s disaster.</p><p>“I-I have a request for you.”</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>“Please… Please teach me how to shoot a gun!”</p><p>Vince’s hands froze at that simple statement, stopping just short as he reached for another pistol buried deep under a pile of rubble. Slowly rising to his feet, he turned to study the girl.</p><p>If he remembered correctly, the others referred to her as ‘Eden,’ and she was that same girl who started crying after a single gunshot barely grazed against her cheek. She was also the one that lashed out alongside him after Mary died, only to become a whimpering mess when she was brought before Ava Paige. His forehead creased at the memory.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“W-Why?” Eden’s eyes rounded, seeming a little taken aback by his question. But her expression quickly hardened over as her gaze flickered downward. “Because I… I’m weak,” She murmured, hands balling into trembling fists at her side. “As a medic, my job doesn’t call for me to act until someone is injured. Other than that, I can only hide… hide behind the people I care about most and watch them risk their lives protecting me,” She bit her bottom lip, briefly recalling that feeling of hopelessness she felt as she sat on the back of the truck, sheltered and surrounded by her dear friends on all sides. “I don’t want to be called in as a medic, I don’t want anyone to get hurt anymore. So I thought… If I can stop them from getting hurt in the first place, wouldn’t that be the best thing I can do? That’s why… That’s why I want to learn how to shoot a gun,” Craning her neck, she met Vince’s probing gaze. “I want to shoot to protect those I care about.”</p><p>Vince narrowed his eyes. For a split second there, he swore he saw something different in the girl. Like something was flickering behind those large onyx-like eyes; the first sparks of a fire perhaps?</p><p>“Shooting to protect...” His voice trailed off, seeming lost in thought for a moment. “If I said no, what’re you going to do?” He then asked.</p><p>“I-I’ll practice by myself!” Eden was quick to respond, as if she had already been prepared for this scenario long before their conversation. “I’m not willing to back down on this. B-Because I…” She gritted her teeth, feeling her nose sore with emotion as the memories of her first and ever attempt at firing a gun replying through her mind, along with that stinging, bitter taste of regret.</p><p>“I…” Hot tears spilled over her eyes, yet she made no effort to wipe them away as she simply stared straight ahead once more. “I-I want to change!” She declared. “I want to become stronger! Strong enough to protect myself and those around me!”</p><p>There was another moment of stillness where Vince simply observed the young girl before him with an indecipherable expression. It was brief, but he saw it again. That blazing, explosive conviction that threatened to spill out of her eyes and into the darkness of their surroundings. But as soon as that fire flickered away, all that remained was a child who was practically shaking down to her boots, trying her best not to let the snot and tears distort her vision.</p><p>He heaved a sigh.</p><p>“Alright, kid,” He nodded. “But be prepared, because I won’t be going easy on you.”</p><p>Eden’s eyes widened. “Y-Yes,” She sniffled, clumsily nodding as she reached up to wipe away the tears with the base of her palm, struggling to recompose herself in front of the burly man. “I won’t disappoint you!”</p><p>
  <b>+ + +</b>
</p><p>
  <em>"And that brings us to the end of the first act of my story.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hm... That's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I guess it would've been a little more efficient if I just went, 'End of Act One.'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But that just sounds too stiff, now doesn't it?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anyways, I'm just here to let you all know that I won't be telling any stories next week since I'm going on a nice, long-needed holiday.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What? Even narrators need a break every now and again, you know?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Next time we pick up this story, it'll be six months into the future. I wonder how Eden and the others will be doing then?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm just teasing; I already know the answer to that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But you, you'll just have to wait till then, won't you?"</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry about disappearing for a month and a half unannounced. School has been kicking my butt lately and my co-writer, astrella-, the creative half of this story was briefly admitted to the hospital for two weeks due to some lingering medical issues (don't worry, thankfully it wasn't COVID-19). But honestly, I thought I was going to cry during that time, seeing my best friend being hooked up to machines and draining tubes. It's not a pretty sight. That being said, she's doing much better now so we hope to have the next chapter out by next week. </p><p>Thank you for all your support! Lots of love from the both of us!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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